The Basics of Pier Drilling: A Comprehensive Guide
Pier drilling in El Paso is an important aspect of residential and commercial construction. In many instances, it’s the only way to build a foundation suitable enough to handle homes, businesses, and other structures.
If you require pier drilling services for your residential or commercial construction site, El Paso Drilling is here to help. Contact us online or call (915) 479-7060 to learn more.
What is Pier Drilling?
As the name implies, pier drilling is the act of drilling holes and filling them with concrete piers. Pier drilling in El Paso is used to build foundational supports or pillars for homes, businesses, and other structures. Drilled piers go by several other names, including caissons, and are one of the most tried and true ways to build a foundation.
How Does Pier Drilling Work?
El Paso pier drilling is performed by large-scale drilling companies. To get the job done, these companies use massive drills and augers to drill holes into the earth and then fill the holes with poured concrete. To give you a better idea of pier drilling, here’s how the process works.
- Your pier drilling professional will come to your construction site to determine how deep and wide the piers need to be, as well as how many you’ll need.
- They will then use an auger attached to an industrial drill and drill holes into the earth for the piers.
- The soil is removed, and, if necessary, the hole is drilled in a bell shape so it’s wider at the bottom, providing more base support.
- Once the hole is ready, a steel casing gets installed.
- Concrete is poured into the hole within the steel casing.
- It will take roughly one month for the concrete to harden enough for construction to continue.
The holes for concrete piers can be anywhere from a few dozen to hundreds of feet deep. They can also range from several inches to several feet in diameter, depending on your needs.
When is Pier Drilling Necessary?
Pier drilling, while becoming more and more common, is not always necessary. In most cases, pier drilling is used when the ground’s surface is too soft to support the foundation for a house or business. This could be because the ground is too loose or soggy or has too many inconsistencies to be reliable.
In these instances, excavators will need to dig deep enough to find solid ground to support a foundation. However, digging the entire foundation that deep would be extremely expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, rather than dig deep for the entire foundation, pier drilling companies will drill strategic holes and fill them with concrete piers or pillars. Concrete piers are useful in the following instances:
- Near water
- For large buildings
- On uneven surfaces
- Areas with unstable earth
Pier Drilling Services in El Paso
If pier drilling is the answer to your foundation problems, El Paso Drilling is ready to get started on your project. From new constructions for homes and businesses to foundation repairs, we can do it all! Call (915) 479-7060 today.