Madewell Engineering to Soon Offer High-quality Screw Piles for Australia

How Screw Piles Came About

The first recorded use of a helical pile was in 1836 by a blind brickmaker and civil engineer named Alexander Mitchell. Mitchell was born in Ireland. He lost his sight gradually from age 6 to age 21. Being blind limited Mitchell’s career options, so he took up brick making during the day and studied mechanics, mathematics, science, and building construction in his leisure.

One of the problems that puzzled Mitchell was how to better found marine structures on weak in oils, such as sand reefs, mudflats, and river estuary banks. At the age of 52, Mitchell devised a solution to this problem, the helical pile. In 1833, Mitchell patented his invention in London.

Mitchell called the device a “screw pile” and its first uses were for ship moorings. A diagram of Mitchell’s screw pile is shown below. The pile was turned into the ground by human and animal power using a large wood handle wheel called a capstan.

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  Period lithograph showing the installation of screw-pile in open sea.

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  Diagram of Maplin Sands Lighthouse

The Advantages Of Using Screw Piles Back Then & Now

In 2022, screw piles will continue to be the prefered technology for builders when using a “suspended” slab design on the ground. They are being used more & more in lieu of traditional concrete-filled bored piers. With site cost, spoil removal, concrete prices, weather conditions etc all trending in the wrong direction, the screw pile is fast becoming the prefered way to do things.

Variations in screw-pile helix geometries

Madewell Products will offer the highest grade steel & technology in our screw piles. Manufactured by our trusted partners, this forms an integral part of our design & consult service through Madewell Engineering Pty Ltd. At Madewell products, we offer solutions from design all the way to measure and handover.

About Madewell Products

Madewell Products is an Australian-owned supplier of premium, innovative products for the concrete construction industry. Our brands have been specially curated for their innovation at every stage of concrete construction. Madewell Products Screw Piles play an integral role in any building project.