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Ground Screw Solution for Rapid Foundation Construction of Traffic Control

Devices and Other Structures

Article · July 2018

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International Journal of Latest Engineering Research and Applications (IJLERA) ISSN: 2455-7137

Volume – 03, Issue – 07, July 2018, PP – 20-24

Ground Screw Solution for Rapid Foundation Construction of

Traffic Control Devices and Other Structures
Ngo Chau Phuong1, Do Thanh Hieu1, Thanh Van Hoang2, Tien Yin Chou2, Yao
Min Fang2
1
University of Transport and Communications, Campus in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam
2
Geographic Information System Research Center, Feng Chia University, Vietnam

Abstract: Along with the development of the economy, the demand for transportation infrastructure is
increasing. To ensure traffic safety, many traffic control devices, such as signage, signal light, sound wall,
surveillance camera, bus shelter, etc., are needed along the roads. In our country, the foundations of these
structures are usually cast-in-place reinforced concrete (RC) spread footings. Although the concrete volume of a
footing is not much but there are many footings scattered along the road or intersections. To build a footing, we
have to use many kinds of materials and execute many steps such as digging foundation pit, making formwork,
placing reinforcement, pouring concrete. This takes long time and is not economically effective. At present, in
some countries using small screw pile (mini screw pile, ground screw) can overcome these disadvantages and
has lower costs, very potential in replacing cast-in-place RC spread footing mentioned above to make
foundation for traffic control devices and other structures.
Keywords: Screw pile, spiral pile, helical pile, ground screw

I. OVERVIEW OF MINI SCREW-PILES AND CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

Screw-pile is also known as spiral-pile or helical-pile, which has the pile shaft is the steel pipe on
which spiral wings (continuous or interrupted) are lowered by rotating and pressing.
According to the shaft sizes (diameter of steel pipe, Dp), are divided into screw-pile types: large shaft
type (D> 600mm); medium shaft type (300mm <D <600mm) and small shaft type (D <300mm)

a) b)
Fig.1: Small screw-pile a) Continuous wing, b) Interrupted wing

This article is mainly focused on analysis of small shaft screw-piles with continuous wing (mini screw-
pile, ground screw).
Advantages of mini screw-piles: Fast preparation and application time, less manpower required; The
piles have small cross section and light weight , which can be transported; executed by hand crafted machine or
by specialized machine; Easy to connect; easy to link with steel columns of the upper structure; Easy to
dismantle when used as temporary foundation; Can be installed in narrow space (such as under bridges); The
piles may be vertical or oblique, can be installed on sloping terrain or vertical and inclined wall; Have less
vibration and less noise in construction; less space, so it should not move near the ground; Be prepared piles, so
it isn‘t affected by the weather; Have no waste land or waste material due to construction; Pile materials is
reusable and recyclable; Can bear force immediately after lowering the piles; It is possible to predict the bearing
capacity of the piles through the torque of the pile lowering equipment;
Disadvantages: Cross section of the pile shaft is small, so it is bad at horizontal force bearing and anti-
flip; Foreign objects and hard ground can make it difficult to lower the piles; can be eroded in the land.
However, these disadvantages can be overcome such as hot dip galvanized piles for anticorrosion; Horizontal
poles can be used with multiple piles or with additional horizontal bearing ("+"wings or "+" wings combined
with sleeves to increase the cross section of the pile) as shown in Figure 2 or use oblique piles; Working in hard
ground or encountering a foreign object that can deflect the heart of the pile, it may overcome by a guiding
frame or encountering foreign objects may be repaired by pulling up the piles to remove foreign objects (if the
foreign object is small and located near the ground) or changing pile position.

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International Journal of Latest Engineering Research and Applications (IJLERA) ISSN: 2455-7137

Volume – 03, Issue – 07, July 2018, PP – 20-24

a) b)

Fig.1: Part to increase horizontal bearing capacity for screw piles

a)“+”wing, b) sleeve type

Pile lowering method: Small screw-pile may be lowered by many various equipment such as: by hand
and rotor; by handheld machine and shaped frame; by spiral pile drill attached to the self-operating vehicle; by
spiral pile drill with instructions attached on the self-operating vehicle[1].

a) b) c) d)
Fig.2: Method of screwing

a) by hand and rotor b) by handheld machine and shaped frame c) by spiral pile drill attached to the self-
operating vehicle, d) by spiral pile drill with instructions attached on the self-operating vehicle.
a)Spiral pile drill
without guiding
/YDS3000, Unit
price: 62,3 million
VND (2769.23USD)

b)Spiral pile drill

with guiding /
YDZJ3000,
Unit price: 132
million VND
(5846USD)

c)
Fig. 4: Specification of some spiral pile drills of Goinjade New Energy Technology Company (China) [7]
Scope of application of mini screw-piles: With small size, lightweight, fast construction,
environmental friendliness in countries, mini screw-piles are widely applied in construction of new works and
reinforcement and repair of existing works.

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 International Journal of Latest Engineering Research and Applications (IJLERA) ISSN: 2455-7137

Volume – 03, Issue – 07, July 2018, PP – 20-24

Upon construction, screw-piles are less likely to affect pedestrians on the sidewalk and vehicles which
are being circulated without having to excavate the ground, pouring concrete, which results in saving more time
and costs. In addition, screw-piles are prefabricated steel piles (easily recyclable), which are environmentally
friendly, suitable for sustainable development. It is able to use the screw-pile foundation for the structure of
traffic safety signal and other structures such as: street lamp posts, signal lights, columns, signboards,
surveillance cameras; bus stop foundation, fence pillar foundation, sound insulation wall foundation, ...

Fig.3: Application of mini screw-piles

II. THEORETICAL BASIS FOR CALCULATION OF MINI SCREW PILE FOUNDATION

According to a study by Zhang D. (1999) [1,2] and Narasimha Rao (1989) [1,2], ... the operation of piles
depends on the diameter (D) and the distance between screw wings (S). Narasimha Rao et al. (1999) [2] have
also determined that when the S/D < 2, screw-piles are working according to the cylindrical surface model
surrounding the screw wings and when S/D >2, the model is used for the load bearing capacity of each screw
wing (Figure 6).

Fig.6: Model calculated according the load bearing capacity of each Fig. 7: Effects of distance between
screw wing (left) and the cylindrical surface surrounding the screw wings
wing (right) (Narasimha Rao 1991).

From Figure 7, it can be seen that with the small distance of screw wings, the ground surrounding the
pile limited by the screw wing side remains intact, the damage side of the pile is a cylindrical side surrounding
the screw side. Considering the pile limited by two screw wings, as the screw wing distance increases, the total
friction of the side wall of the pile section increases as the length increases, while the intensity of the ground

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International Journal of Latest Engineering Research and Applications (IJLERA) ISSN: 2455-7137

Volume – 03, Issue – 07, July 2018, PP – 20-24

around the pile does not change, if exceeding any limit, the ground pillar around the steel pipe will be damaged.
At this time, there is only friction between the steel pipe and the load bearing capacity of the screw wing [1,2].
The effect of distance and diameter of the screw wings shows that the operation of the screw-piles may
be divided into two calculating models: cylindrical surface model surrounding the screw wings and load bearing
capacity of each screw wing[2,3].
In 2016, Ministry of Science and Technology announces "TCVN 11520: 2016 [6] Screw-pile
foundation with single wing at the head – Design requirements“ for desining the screw-piles with single wing at
the head. There is no standard for calculating the design of mini scew-piles with continuous wings. "TCVN
10304: 2014 Pile Foundation Design Standard" only briefly discusses the calculation of load bearing capacity of
spiral-piles and does not specify how the spiral-piles are constructed.
Refer to the research results of Zhang D. (1999) [1,2] and Narasimha Rao (1989) [1,2], suggesting and
applying a cylindrical surface model surrounding screw wings to calculate load bearing capacity along the axis
of mini screw-piles in accordance with the foundation soil, apply the formula of Section 7.2.4 of TCVN 10304:
2014 [5]; The pile shaft of the upper of screw wings will be applied the formula calculated as steel pipe piles.

III. EXAMPLE OF MINI CREW-PILE FOUNDATION CALCULATION

Assuming the pile size of Figure 8 is lowered into medium sandy ground with the parameters as below:

Fig.8: Example of structure and size of a mini screw-pile (uniy: mm)

Parameter of mini screw-pile: Pile length, L=1,800m; length of pile section with screw wings,
Lb=1,000m; Pile diameter, Dp = 0.076m; Diameter of screw wing, Dp = 0.106m; Thickness of steel pipe of pile
shaft, tp = 4mm; Steel grade Q235MPa; Cross-sectional area of screw head, Ab = 0.0088mm2; Cross-sectional
area of the pile shaft, Ap=0,0045mm2; Perimeter of screw wing, ub = 0.3330m; Perimeter of pile shaft,
up=0.2388m.
Refer to quotation of Goinjade New Energy Technology Company (China) 2018 (in China): Pile 1800
* 76 * 4mm, Q235 (hot dip galvanized): 460,000 VND / pile, pile 1400 * 60 * 3mm , Q235 (hot dip
galvanized): 240,000 VND / pile
Foundation ground parameters: sandy ground, moderate density: thickness of 3.00 m; is the calculated
density of ground, =18kN/m3; friction angle, =30o; adhesive force, c=0,01 kN/m3;

Calculation of load bearing capacity along the axis of the spiral-pile

Rc,u = c [Rq + Rf] = 15,703 kN (Formula 16, TCVN 10304:2014)
Of which:
c is the working condition factor, depending on type of load affecting on the pile and condition
of foundation ground according to Table 8 TCVN 10304:2014, c = 0,8.
Rq is the resistance of ground under the screw head
Rf is the resistance of ground on the pile shaft

Resistance of ground under the screw head

Rq = (1 cl + 2l hl) Av = 1,288 kN (Formula 17, TCVN 10304:2014)
Of which:
2 used according to Table 9 TCVN 10304:2014, depending on friction angle value in calculating
Iof the ground at the working area (the ground surrounding the screw head with thickness
Db), 2 = 4,5.

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 International Journal of Latest Engineering Research and Applications (IJLERA) ISSN: 2455-7137

Volume – 03, Issue – 07, July 2018, PP – 20-24

cl is the adhesive force of the adhesive ground or the linear parameter of the sandy ground at the
working area, cl = 0,01kN/m2
l is the density of average efficiency of the ground on the screw head, l = 18,00kN/m3
Av is the cross-sectional area of the screw head, Av = 0,0088mm2
hl is the depth of the screw head from the natural face of the earth or from the design face of the
earth, hl = 1,8m.

Resistance of the screw-pile shaft

Rf =  ui fi li = 18,341 kN (Formula 18, TCVN 10304:2014)
Of which:
fi is the strength of average resistance of the ith ground bed on the pile shaft taken according to
Table 3 TCVN 10304:2014. Resistance fi on the pile section with length Db at the screw head
used as 0.
u is the perimeter of the pile shaft in the ith ground bed
li is the length of pile section in the ith ground bed
Ground bed li (m) fi (kN/m2) ui (m) u.fi.li (kN)
Pile section without screw wing 0,80 35 0,2388 6,685
Pile section with screw wing 1,00 35 0,3330 11,655
ui fi li = 18,341

The load bearing capacity of the 1.8m mini screw-pile as shown above is 1.5 tons. This load bearing
capacity can be applied when applying for the foundation of big signs, signal light posts, etc. In case of applying
as foundation of pickets, small signposts, the shorter piles can be used. In case of larger foot load, more piles
can be used.
Therefore, if only one initial investment was required for a pile drill to install for multiple piles with a
signpost that required only a pile of 1800 * 76 * 4mm to be connected directly to the steel pipe of signpost
without pile-work. The aforementioned cost is cheaper than the cost of materials and manpower of digging
foundation, formwork, pouring concrete, returning pavement/sidewalk.

IV. CONCLUSION
From the requirements of the technology of mini screw-pile foundation construction in urban traffic
works, the current technical standards, based on the analysis of construction equipment in the world, the authors
have selecting equipment Screw-type pivoting machine Screw-type head mounted on the base machine available
is the crawler excavator hydraulic as the construction equipment synchronous piles for pile foundation works for
transportation projects In Vietnam, it is suitable with actual construction conditions and calculates the basic
parameters of the equipment with appropriate technical features, which is the basis for the complete design and
That is the basis for the complete design and manufacture equipment in water.
With low cost, simple and fast construction, mini screw-pile overcomes the disadvantages of single
reinforced concrete foundation poured in place, is very suitable for fast construction of foundation for traffic
signposts and other structures

REFERENCES
[1]. Abbas Mohajeranin, Dusan Bosnjak, Damon Bromwich: Analysis and design methods of screw piles:
A review, Elsevier, 2014.
[2]. D. Zang.: Predicting capacity of helicel screw piles in Alberta soils. M.Sc. thesis, Department of Civil
and Envicronmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, 1999.
[3]. G.N Nguyen., Q.T. Pham: Analyzing the effect of diameter, screw spacing and cement pile strength on
the performance of ATT piles. Journal of Science and Technology Engineering, Hanoi, Vietnam 2014.
[4]. John L. Maier, Ali M. Oskoorouchi: Increasing lateral capacity of helical piles with lateral restraint
devices, Fifth International Conference on Recent Advances in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
and Soil Dynamics ad Symposium in Honor of Professor I.M. Idriss, San Diego, California, USA,
2010.
[5]. TCVN 10304:2014: Standard of pile foundation design.
[6]. TCVN 11520:2016: Screwed nails in pile point - Design requirements.
[7]. Specification of pile screw equipment and pile quotas and equipment of Goinjade New Energy
Technology Company (China).

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