How to get your foundation drilling right

When building a new property, which part of the structure do you think is the most important? You might think that the answer is one of the more visible parts of the building, such as the walls or the roof. In fact, while roofs and walls are obviously important, the part of the building which matters most is something you can't see once the building work is complete.

The importance of your foundation

The foundation supports the structure of your home, enabling it to remain strong and stable. Without an adequate foundation, you will soon notice that your home starts to fall apart because the ground is not able to support the weight of the property. Many types of ground require deep foundation drilling to provide the much-needed strong foundation. The question you will need to discuss with your contractors is which method of foundation drilling should be used to create the foundation.

Different types of foundation drilling

Three of the most popular methods of foundation drilling are continuous flight auger drilling, full displacement drilling and probably the most popular of all, kelly drilling. Your contractor will be able to explain the advantages of each method and how they could work on your land, but here is a brief description to help you make the right choice.

Kelly drilling - This form of dry rotary drilling is often chosen to produce bored piles and is capable of being employed with all rock and soil types. With kelly foundation drilling, the soil is removed from the earth using rotary drilling tools such as core barrels, augers and buckets. The kelly bar or telescopic drill rod is the most characteristic feature of this type of foundation drilling.

Continuous flight auger drilling is an alternative method of dry rotary drilling, it involves the rock and soil being loosened and continuously extracted using a continuous flight auger. This type of foundation drilling is used for both predrilling and the installation of piles.

A modified version of continuous flight auger drilling is full displacement drilling, which is only used to create cast-in-place piles. With this technique, the soil surrounding the pile is displaced but not carried to the surface. No auger is used, but rather a smooth casing with a displacement body fitted to the lower end.

To find out which foundation drilling technique you should employ on your foundation, you must talk to your contractor since they will have the experience to guide you to the correct decision.