The Axial Uplift Capacity of Screw Piles: A Review

Main Article Content

Ibrahim W. Ibrahim
Mahdi Karkush

Abstract

There is a continuous demand in geotechnical engineering to find more economical footing. Screw piles provide acceptable or even much more bearing against tensile, compression, lateral, and overturning moment loads with less impact on the environment and surrounding buildings. Screw piles may be utilized either as shallow footing or deep footing, and can be installed in various types of soils except the soils that contain gravel or stiff clay. A screw pile is generally made of high-quality steel shaft with a single helix plate or multiple helixes plates attached to the lower end of the shaft at specified spacing utilized by the designer. The current study highlighted the various theoretical and field methods that were utilized in literature to estimate the uplift capacity of screw piles and pointed out several field, laboratory scale, and numerical simulation studies that investigated the most important parameters during installation and uplift loading of the screw piles. The former investigations revealed that installing the screw piles with torque rotation speed ( ) of 1 (p/r) provides higher uplift capacities as well as increasing the embedment depth, the helix diameter, and the number of helical plates welded to the screw pile shaft. In general, the the decrease in the spacing ratio (S/D) gave higher uplift capacity in almost all the soils used by researchers this case can also be said to the decrease in the (L/D) ratio. Finally, increasing the undrained shear strength of clayey soil and the relative density of sandy soil gave a higher uplift capacity.

Article Details

Section

Articles

How to Cite

“The Axial Uplift Capacity of Screw Piles: A Review” (2025) Journal of Engineering, 31(6), pp. 105–128. doi:10.31026/j.eng.2025.06.06.

References

Abbase, H.O., 2017. Pullout capacity of screw piles in sandy soil. Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, 4(1), pp. 8-12.

Abdel-Rahim, H.H.A., Taha, Y.K., Mohamed W.E.E., 2013. The compression and uplift bearing capacities of helical piles in cohesionless soil. Journal of Engineering Sciences, 41(6), 2055. https://dx.doi.org/10.21608/jesaun.2013.114946

Adams, J.I., and Klym, T.W., 1972. A study of anchorages for transmission tower foundations. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 9(1), pp. 89-104. https://doi.org/10.1139/t72-007.

Ahmed M.D., and Adkel, A.M., 2017. Stabilization of Clay soil using tyre ash. Journal of Engineering, 23(6), pp. 34-51. https://doi.org/10.31026/j.eng.2017.06.03

Al-Ani, S.M.A., 2021. Behavior of screw piles in unsaturated expansive soil treated with magnetic water. Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Baghdad. BaghdadIraq.

AL-Ani, S.M.A., Karkush, M.O., Zhussupbekov, A., and Al-Hity, A.A., 2021. Influence of magnetized water on the geotechnical properties of expansive soil. In Modern Applications of Geotechnical Engineering and Construction: Geotechnical Engineering and Construction, pp. 39-50. Springer Singapore.

Al-Baghdadi, T., 2018. Screw piles as offshore foundations: Numerical and physical modelling (Doctoral dissertation, University of Dundee).

Al-Dulaimi, N.S., 2004. Characteristics of gypseous soils treated with calicium chloride solution, M.Sc. Thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Baghdad. Baghdad.

Ali, O.K. and Abbas, H.O., 2019. Performance assessment of screw piles embedded in soft clay. Civil Engineering Journal, 5(8), pp. 1788-1798.

Al-Jorany, A.N., and Noori, F.S., 2013. Effect of swelling soil on load carrying capacity of a single pile. Journal of Engineering, 19(7), pp. 896–905. https://doi.org/10.31026/j.eng.2013.07.10.

Al-Kaabi, A.D., and Karkush, M.O., 2022. Numerical modeling load displacement behavior of screw piles under seismic loading in soft soil. Association of Arab Universities Journal of Engineering Sciences, 29(3), pp. 12-22.

Alkaby, A.D., and Karkush, M.O., 2022. Numerical modeling of screw piles performance under static and seismic loads in soft soils. In Geotechnical Engineering and Sustainable Construction: Sustainable Geotechnical Engineering, pp. 291-303. Singapore: Springer Singapore.

Aouadi, F., Ghebrab, T., Soroushian, P., Nassar, R., 2020. Effect of helical surface area on the performance of a multi-helix anchor. International Journal of Civil Engineering, 18, pp. 439–448. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40999-019-00490-7

Ashni, M., and Janani, V., 2017. Experimental study on pull-out capacity of helical pile in clayey soil. International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology. 8(4), pp. 1514-1521.

Bouali, M.F., Karkush, M.O., and Bouassida, M., 2021. Impact of wall movement on the location of passive Earth thrust. Open Geosciences, 13(1) pp. 570-581. https://doi.org/10.1515/geo-2020-0248

Buhler, R., and Cerato, A.B., 2010. Design of dynamically wind-loaded helical piers for small wind turbines. Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities, 24(4), pp. 417-426. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CF.1943-5509.0000119.

Bustamante, M., and Gianeselli, L., 1982. Pile bearing capacity prediction by means of static penetrometer CPT. In 1982 Proceedings of the 2nd European symposium on penetration testing, Amsterdam, pp. 493–500.

Chance Company, 1992. Basic Guidelines for Designing Helical Piers for Underpinning, Bulletin 01-9202, Centralia, Missouri, USA.

Driscoll, R., and Chown, R., 2001. Problem soils: A review from a british perspective. Proceedings of Problematic Soils Conference, Nottingham, pp. 53- 66.

Gautam, T.P., 2018. Cohesive Soils. In: Bobrowsky, P.T., Marker, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Engineering Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73568-9_60.

Guo, Z., and Deng, L., 2017. Field behaviour of screw micropiles subject to axial loading in cohesive soils. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 55(8), pp. 34-44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2017-0109.

Hoyt, R.M., and Clemence, S.P., 1989. Uplift capacity of helical anchors in soil. In Proceedings of 1989 12th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering. Rio de Janerio. Brazil, 2, pp. 1019-1022.

Hussein, A.A., and Karkush, M.O., 2022. Experimental Investigation of pullout capacity of screw piles in soft clayey soil. In Geotechnical Engineering and Sustainable Construction: Sustainable Geotechnical Engineering (pp. 315-327). Singapore: Springer Singapore.

Ibrahim, A.A. and Karkush, M., 2024. Numerical modeling of multi-belled piles in multi-layers soils under static axial loading. In AIP Conference Proceedings (Vol. 2864, No. 1). AIP Publishing.

Ibrahim, A.A. and Karkush, M.O., 2023. The efficiency of belled piles in multi-layers soils subjected to axial compression and pullout loads. Journal of Engineering, 29(09), pp. 166-183. https://doi.org/10.31026/j.eng.2023.09.12.

Jamill, A.S. and Abbas, H.O., 2021, February. Effect of screw piles spacing on group compressive capacity in soft clay. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (Vol. 1076, No. 1, 012098). IOP Publishing.

Jebur, M.M., Ahmed, M.D., and Karkush, M.O., 2020. Numerical analysis of under-reamed pile subjected to dynamic loading in sandy soil. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (Vol. 671, No. 1, 012084). IOP Publishing.

John, S., and Pack, P.E., 2009. Design and inspection guide for helical piles and helical tension anchors. Denver, Colorado, USA.

Karkush, M., 2016. Behavior of pile groups subjected to axial static and lateral cyclic loads in contaminated soils. In Geo-China 2016, pp. 166-174.

Karkush, M.O., Al-Shakarchi, Y.J. and Al-Jorany, A.N., 2008. Theoretical modeling and experimental investigation of leaching behavior of salty soils. In Conference on Construction and Building Technology (Vol. 123, 138).

Karkush, M.O., Al-Shakarchi, Y.J., and Al-Jorany, A.N., 2008. Leaching behavior of gypseous soils. Journal of Engineering, 14(4), 3088. https://doi.org/10.31026/j.eng.2008.04.16.

Karkush, M.O., and Alkaby, A.D., 2023. Numerical modeling of pullout capacity of screw piles under seismic loading in layered soil. Transportation Infrastructure Geotechnology, 10(1), pp. 125-146.

Karkush, M.O., and Hussein, A.A., 2021. Experimental investigation of bearing capacity of screw piles and excess porewater pressure in soft clay under static axial loading. In E3S Web of Conferences (Vol. 318, 01001). EDP Sciences.

Karkush, M.O., and Mukhlef, O.J., 2021. Experimental pullout capacity of screw piles in dry gypseous soil. In 2021 proceeding of the 2nd International Conference on Geotechnical Engineering (ICGE). Iraq. E3S Web Conferences, 318(01002), 2. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202131801002

Karkush, M.O., Mohsin, A.H., Saleh, H.M. and Noman, B.J., 2022. Numerical analysis of piles group surrounded by grouting under seismic load. In Geotechnical Engineering and Sustainable Construction: Sustainable Geotechnical Engineering, pp. 379-389. Singapore: Springer Singapore.

Keaton, J.R., 2018. Noncohesive Soils. In: Bobrowsky, P.T., Marker, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Engineering Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham, pp. 689-690. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73568-9_212.

Kim, D., Baek, K., and Park, K., 2018. Analysis of the bearing capacity of helical pile with hexagonal joints. Materials, 11(10), 1890. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11101890.

Lin, Y., Xiao, J., Le, C., Zhang, P., Chen, Q., and Ding, H., 2022. Bearing characteristics of helical pile foundations for offshore wind turbines in sandy soil. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 10(7), 889. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10070889.

Livneh, B., and ElNaggar, M.H., 2008. Axial testing and numerical modeling of square shaft helical piles under compressive and tensile loading. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 48(8), pp. 1142-1155. https://doi.org/10.1139/T08-044.

Lutenegger A.J., 2009. Cylindrical shear or plate bearing?: Uplift behavior of multi-helix screw anchors in clay. Contemporary Topics in Deep Foundations. American Society of Civil Engineers. USA, pp. 456-463. https://doi.org/10.1061/41021(335)57.

Mahdy B.O., 2004. Comparison of several methods for determination of gypsum content. Journal of Engineering, 10(3), pp. 373-374. https://doi.org/10.31026/j.eng.2004.03.07.

Mahmood MR, Salim NM, Al-Gezzy AA. Effect of different soil saturation conditions on the ultimate uplift resistance of helical pile model. In E3S Web of Conferences 2021 (Vol. 318, 01012). EDP Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202131801012

Meyerhof, G.G., and Adams, J.I., 1968. The ultimate uplift capacity of helix anchors in sand. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 5(4), pp. 225-244. https://doi.org/10.1139/t68-024.

Mitchell, J.K. and Soga, K., 2005. Fundamentals of Soil Behavior. 3rd ed., JohnWiley &Sons. Inc.

Mitsch, M.P., and Clemence, S.P., 1985. The uplift capacity of helix anchors in sand. American Society of Civi Engineers. New York, pp. 26-47.

Mohajerani, A., Bosnjak, D., Bromwich, D., 2016. Analysis and design methods of screw piles: A review. Soils and Foundations, 56(1), pp. 115-128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sandf.2016.01.009.

Mooney, J.S., Adamczak, S., and Clemence, S.P., 1985. Uplift capacity of helix anchors in clay and silt. American Society of Civil Engineers. New York, pp. 48-72.

Mosquera, Z.Z., Tsuhs C.H.C, and Beck A.T., 2015. Serviceability performance evaluation of helical piles under uplift loading. Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities, 30(4) 04015070-2. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CF.1943-5509.0000805.

Mukhlef, O.J., Karkush, M.O. and Zhussupbekov, A., 2020, August. Strength and compressibility of screw piles constructed in gypseous soil. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (Vol. 901, No. 1, 012006). IOP Publishing.

Mulyanda, D., Iqbal, M.M., and Dewi, R., 2020. The effect of helical size on uplift pile capacity. International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research. 9(2), pp. 4140-4144.

Nasr, M., 2009. Performance-based design for helical piles. In Contemporary Topics in Deep Foundations. American Society of Civil Engineers. USA, pp. 496-503. https://doi.org/10.1061/41021(335)62.

Pack, J.S., 2003. Helical foundation and tiebacks: quality control, inspection, and performance monitoring. In Proceedings of 2003 28th Annual Conference on Deep Foundation, Miami Beach, Fla. Deep Foundation Institute, Hawthorne, N.J., pp. 269-284.

Perez, Z.A., Schiavon, J.A., Tsuha, C.H.C., Dias, D., and Thorle, L., 2017. Numerical and experimental study on influence of installation effects on behaviour of helical anchors in very dense sand. Canadian Geotechnical Journal. 55, pp. 1067-1080. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2017-0137.

Perko , H.A., 2009. Helical Piles A Practical Guide to Design and Installation. Book. John Willey and Sons. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9780470549063.

Rao, S.N. and Prasad, Y.V.S.N., 1993. Estimation of uplift capacity of helical anchors in clays. Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, 119(2), pp.352-357. Rao, S.N., and Prasad, Y.V.S.N., 1993. Estimation of uplift capacity of helical anchors in clays. Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, 119(2), pp. 352-357. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9410(1993)119:2(352)

Rao, S.N., Prasad, Y.V.S.N. and Veeresh, C., 1993. Behaviour of embedded model screw anchors in soft clays. Geotechnique, 43(4), pp. 605-614. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1993.43.4.605

Safdar, M., Qureshi, H. A., Shah, F., Ahmad, N., 2021. Parametric study and design method for axial capacity of helical piles: A literature review. Journal of Applied and Emerging Sciences, 11(02) pp. 217-227. https://dx.doi.org/10.36785/JAES.112520.

Sakr, M., 2009. Performance of helical piles in oil sand. Canadian Geotechnical Journal. 46, pp. 1046-1061. https://doi.org/10.1139/T09-044

Sakr, M., 2010. High capacity helical piles – A new dimension for bridge foundations. In Proceedings of 8th International Conference on Short and Medium Span Bridges. Niagara Falls, Canada.

Sakr, M., 2011. Installation and performance characteristics of high capacity helical piles in cohesionless soils. DFI Journal, The Journal of the Deep Foundation Institute, 5 (1), pp. 39–57, http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/dfi.2011.004

Salem, T.N., Hussein, M., 2017. Axial tensile capacity of helical piles from field tests and numerical study. Port-Said Engineering Research Journal. 21(2), pp. 111–119. https://doi.org/10.21608/pserj.2017.33299.

Seleam S.N., 2006. Evaluation of the collapsibility of gypseous soils in Iraq. Journal of Engineering, 13(3), 719. https://doi.org/10.31026/j.eng.2006.03.21

Tappenden, K., Sego, D., Robertson, P., 2009. Load transfer behaviour of fullscale instrumented screw anchors. In: Contemporary Topics in Deep Foundations. American Society of Civil Engineers, USA, pp. 472–479. http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/41021(335)59.

Tappenden, K.M. and Sego, D.C., 2007, October. Predicting the axial capacity of screw piles installed in Canadian soils. In The Canadian Geotechnical Society (CGS), OttawaGeo2007 conference, pp. 1608-1615.

Tappenden and Sego, 2007. Predicting the axial capacity of screw piles installed in Canadian soils. In 2007 GeoOttawa 60th Canadian Geotechnical Conference.

Tsuha, A. and Aoki, N., 2011. Quality Control of Helical Piles in Sands. In 14th Pan-American Conference on Soil Mechanics.

Vignesh, V. and Mayakrishnan, M., 2020. Design parameters and behavior of helical piles in cohesive soils—A review. Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 13(22). http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12517-020-06165-1.

Vito, D., and Cook, T., 2011b. Highly loaded helical piles in compression and tension applications: A case study of two projects. In proceedings of 2011 Pan-Am CGS Geotechnical Society. Ontario, Canada.

Wang, D., Merifield, R.S. and Gaudin, C., 2013. Uplift behaviour of helical anchors in clay. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 50(6), pp. 575-584. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2012-0350

Wang, L., Zhang, P., Ding, H., Tian, Y., and Qi, X., 2020. The uplift capacity of single-plate helical pile in shallow dense sand including the influence of installation. Marine Structures, 71, 102697. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marstruc.2019.102697

Yttrup, P.J. and Abramsson, G., 2003. Ultimate strength of steel screw piles in sand. Australian Geomechanics: Journal and News of the Australian Geomechanics Society, 38(1), pp. 17-27.

Yuan, C., Hao, D., Chen, R., and Zhang, N., 2023. Numerical investigation of uplift failure mode and capacity estimation for deep helical anchors in sand. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. 11(8). 1547. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse11081547.

Zhang, D., Chalaturnyk, R., Robertson, P., Sego, D., and Cyre, G., 2007. Screw anchor test program (Part 1): Instrumentation, site characterization and installation. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Zhang, D.J.W., 1999. Predicting capacity of helical screw piles in Alberta soils. University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. https://doi.org/10.7939/R3BV7B59Z.

Similar Articles

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.