Alternative Energy

Significant advances in pile design and engineering have allowed Almita’s turnkey foundation solution to be utilized on an array of alternative energy projects. Our ongoing advances in manufacturing capabilities, installation capacity and detailed structural analysis have ushered in a new alternative for a variety of energy projects, including wind turbine foundations and solar farm projects in Canada. Screw piles are the logical foundation choice for alternate energy projects. By their very nature, screw piles are cleaner and more environmentally friendly than their counterparts: traditional driven piles. When the two are compared, screw piles produce a much smaller carbon footprint than driven piles. Because driven piles rely on skin friction, where screw piles utilize either a helix or a bearing plate, often a screw piles length and steel consumption can be as much as 40% less when compared to driven piles of equal capacity. Another environmental benefit associated with screw piles is their significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions. Since screw piles do not require concrete, the CO2 emissions associated with every stage of concrete production (trucking, hoarding, reheating, etc.) are avoided.

During the installation of screw piles, the tailings are either entirely eliminated or greatly minimized as compared to concrete piles. Concrete piles can impact the ground water on a particular site when leeching soils are present. Screw piles do not have these issues.