A Serious Three-Pronged Problem for Helical Piles in Parts of Canada

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(1) Manufacturers Taking Shortcuts to Win Projects

(2) Installers Not Installing Piles Correctly

(3) Local & National Code Officials Not Enforcing Codes and Certifications

Julian Reusing, founder and CEO of GoliathTech Piles (Magog, Quebec), has seen first-hand how these serious problems can have a negative impact not only on his company’s ability to compete fairly, but even more concerning is the damage being done to the credibility of helical (screw) piles in Canada. Reusing finally hit his own wall of tolerance in 2016 and began an exhaustive effort to document these serious problems and put verifiable proof in front of code officials and the general public.

Reusing and his team went so far as to set up helical pile projects for structures secretly owned or managed by Reusing. Canadian-based companies. with whom GoliathTech competes with on a regular basis, were contracted to install helical piles to either support a new structure or underpin an existing one. Once each project was completed, GoliathTech crews documented the installers’ workmanship and extracted the helical piles to have them thoroughly examined and tested by a certified testing laboratory.

Some of the certified testing results revealed exactly what Reusing suspected all along – some of his competitors’ steel tested below the code-required strength – some helix bearing plates were not manufactured to code specifications – connection to structure brackets were deficient - paint and other cheap coatings were substituted for code-required hot dip galvanizing. All of these findings including the written and stamped steel testing results were then presented to the Canadian Construction Materials Centre (CCMC). In addition, Reusing presented his findings to local and national media outlets along with documentation and video footage of some residential helical pile foundation failures where some of his competitors did the installations.

Click here to read a GoliathTech web page that details the company’s concerns about industry problems - includes a video produced by CBC The National

Click here to read the CCMC bulletin

Click here to see a partial list of examples sent to CCMC

Click here to read one of thirteen letters sent to Canadian Province Officials

About GoliathTech:

“GoliathTech is a multinational manufacturer of helical piles. For more than 15 years, we have combined strength with know-how to offer you the best piling solution to support your project. Manufacturer and installer of helical screw piles, GoliathTech never stops innovating so that you may benefit from unequalled quality products and services. Our network of hundreds of certified installers does more than merely carry out simple tasks. They put their vast experience to work to guarantee optimal anchoring of each pile.”

A Serious Three-Pronged Problem for Helical Piles in Parts of Canada

By Julian Reusing

July, 2019