Pile Foundation Vs Stick Frame: 7 Differences You Must Know

When building a house, traditional stick framing technique was once the most trusted and easiest way of building the roof at the construction site one board at a time, but with the evolving technologies, the conventionally used pile foundation proves to be a better construction technique, providing an ultimate strength to the loose soil beneath the building. It uses the new mini piling technique favourable for places with limited construction space.

Pile Foundation Vs Stick Frame: 7 Differences You Must Know

Here are some of the key differences that you must know while choosing between pile foundation vs stick frames:

• Stick framing is one of the traditionally used technique to provide support to pole barns through wooden piles for a stronger foundation of buildings. Wooden piles offer support and strengthen the ground roots of the building. Although stick framing is a lethargic and a slow process, the maintenance cost is immensely low.

 (Just for Fact – The Venice city is famous for being built on wooden piles over sea water and is one of the famous attractions of the city.)

• The Pole Industry uses stick framing to provide a stick-built home, which is also those homes built using a more traditional method of building rather than a modular type. The “sticks” mentioned usually refers specifically to the superstructure of the walls and roof.
• Mini piling although costly proves to be the best technique for building construction and solid foundation as post frame structures are supported by poles that are fixed in the ground. Pile foundation uses – End Bearing and friction piles for a better fixation in the ground.

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• When setting up a pole barn, pile foundation supports buildings having loose soil near the surface. It is capable of handling high pressure and rigorous friction developed during the construction.
• Stick frames are not well suited for construction requiring a high rise or many-storeyed buildings. The pole industry heavily relies on the modern pile foundation for a better strength and durability.
• Pile foundations are expensive and require a high level of training and expertise at work while stick framing offers an ultimate structural framing to your residential property.
• Mini Piling and driving is an extremely noisy and rigorous process that sends out shockwaves through the soil which can provide a structural damage because of the vibrations. On the other hand, traditional stick frames are an easy going and convenient process with zero noise level.

When Is Pile Foundation Used?

• When constructing a building with a high rise structure or concentrated loads over it. The strength that comes to support this heavy load is given through pile foundation.
• When there is an immense load over the building and the soil below it cannot withstand the whole pressure of the building, the pressure is bypassed to the soil below it with the help of a pole pushed into the ground, through mini piling access system.

Advantages of Working With Pile Foundation Are:

• You can easily precast piles according to the required specifications of the building load, structure etc.
• They can be easily moulded into any shape and size even before the construction work has started, by taking the measurements in advance.
• Driven piles are easy to use and are most favoured for works over water.
• Driven piles are most conveniently used at places where drilling of the surface is not advisable.
• The work done is neat and clean leaving no soil or surface cracking. You just don’t have to keep a supervisor to check for the proper installation of poles.
• The bearing capacity of the pile is enhanced due to the extra strength provided to the adjacent soil and surface.
• They do not contract or soften when inserted deep into the surface and retain their shape underground for a longer period of time providing an effective support to the building.

Reasons to Prefer Pile Foundation Over Stick Frames

Enhanced Strength

Pile foundation uses the mini piling technique providing an extra strength to the soil beneath the building. According to pile foundation experts, Geo Bond, not only it provides enhanced strength at the time of construction but also provides a solid foundation for the building. It uses friction piles and ends bearing piles which help in transferring the extra energy to its adjacent surface, maintaining an equilibrium beneath the building.

Energy Efficient

It reduces the thermal cracks and interventions and helps in maintaining the original pile shape for a lifetime. Being an ideal construction technique, you can save a lot on the energy cost during the construction, as well.

Versatility

It is an ideal construction technique, because of its better strength and support, for a dozen of building types including :

• Hospitals
• Multi-storeyed buildings
• Apartments
• Commercial Complex
• School
• Colleges
• Corporate Offices etc.

Is Mini Piling the Best Solution?

The use of mini piling construction technique comes to your rescue when the limitation of space is an issue. Although this technique is new it has numerous advantages over the standard screw pile. It can be used in areas having loose soil and eroded fields, nevertheless of the fact how the condition of the soil is, mini piling is an effective way of dealing with all such issues.

• Limitation of Space
• Save Time
• Reliable piling technique
• Reduced vibrations

If you are looking for the best construction technique providing a solid foundation to high structures and buildings with reduced vibrations and less time, mini piling is the right construction technique.

The tremendous increase in the use of pile foundation at construction sites has pushed the piling contractors to adopt mini piling techniques for commercial purposes.

The use of mini piles as a method of providing support to high rise buildings through underpinning poles inside the soil is the new and efficient way of providing an easy and effective construction technique for the contractors.