Pin Piles Cost

Pin Piles, which are also called micro or mini piles consist of a casing pipe made of steel, steel rebar and cement grout. Since pin piles are narrow and less in diameter, they are ideal for loads of light weight, like deck support or projects in small family homes. The diameter of pin piles ranges from 2 to 6 inches and depending on the project and the type of soil, pin piles can be driven to a depth of between 5 feet up to 60 feet.

The main area where the use of pin piles comes in handy is to shore up the foundation of a structure in poor soil conditions to avoid premature settling. They can also be useful in places where soil movement is evident and the structure is at risk, like in landslide and earthquake prone zones. Pin piles are more economic than pipe piles or other thick piles, especially in places where these pipes cannot be drilled due to their size. Another advantage is that these piles can go through soft and wet soils till they reach the solid rock level. Construction sites which have limited access also make use of pin piles as the machines are much smaller.

Pin Piles

To determine the cost for concrete pin piles, the cost of labor, material, equipment and overheads needs to be considered. Since these piles are used for foundations, their depth plays an important part in cost calculation. The number of piles needed will also add to the cost. The cost is further calculated by determining the difficulty of the task and the terrain where they are to be driven. Pin piles are typically driven by using a hydraulic hammer, which is mounted on a mini excavator and can be easily employed almost anywhere.

Pin piles cost much less than any other foundation repair method. A light pin pile for a small residential area can be as little as $3 per linear foot to a maximum of $10 per linear foot. The cost can differ with dimensions and depth and the load bearing capacity needed. The most common pin pile used are the pre-cast concrete ones which can be driven within two weeks against the steel ones which require six to eight weeks. The unit cost further decreases with the project size, and when not in use these pipes can be easily extracted. In disaster affected areas, larger diameter piles would be needed, which again would increase the price.

The adoption of pin piles is increasing at a rapid rate for building foundations. With advancement in technology, higher working loads are being used. With more experience, their usage is bound to rise further as tests have repeatedly proved their viability. With the growth of the building industry, the need for the use of pin piles too is bound to grow.