Have you been wondering what type of foundation to put your small house on? Pin Foundations may be the answer. What could be better than a solid, deep foundation that doesn’t require digging holes or pouring concrete?

Installation seems pretty simple. The precast concrete head is installed at the ground surface and steel bearing pins are slid through holes cast in the concrete and driven into the ground using simple hand-held tools.

Pin Foundations have been used successfully in municipal and residential applications. They can reduce concrete use significantly and by eliminating excavation they dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of conventional construction. No disruption of natural drainage or precious topsoil. They make 2 sizes and specify the larger size for proper frost heave protection in northern climates.

The Diamond Pier® DP-50 model is ICC approved for residential construction of decks, walkways, stairs, ramps and porches. They cost roughly $85 per pier depending upon location (not due to shipping but due to longer pins needed for frost depth considerations, etc.) The DP-100’s are more expensive and require an engineer’s stamp for use in homes once the framing layout and load paths are known.

Watch some Pin Foundation videos for more information.

via materialicious