Steel Piers Are Not Created Equal!

Not all steel piers are made the same! Just because something is called a steel pier does not mean two steel pier systems are comparable. These are the differences to look for in all systems:

Pictured above: Two brackets. Ours is on the left.

1. Bracket Design: Potentially the most important part of the system itself. The whole load of your property is loaded on to the bracket; which then transfers the load down the pipe to the end bearing support. A weak or poor designed bracket will cause a “pinch in the pipe” where the bracket and pipe and this will ultimately end in failure of the support.
   
   
   Pictured Above: Our Pipe - over 45% thicker than a competitor's pipe pictured below.
   
   
   
2. Pipe Size and Design: Pipe size and material type are extremely important, due to the fact that, all of the weight of the property is transferred through the pipe to the end bearing support. Good quality cannot be compromised here because just ¼” of deflection in the length of the pile can cause the pile to lose ALL its load capacity. Inadequate strength = failure.
   
   
3. Installation Method: Most pier manufactures install their piles with a single drive stand system. While this installation method was ground breaking back in the 1960’s; the technology is outdated and only has a singular purpose now. A more advanced way to install piles is either through the use of an independent hydraulic machine or by our double drive system. Our system grabs the pipe with both cylinders and a drive collar which easily drives the pile to load bearing strata.
   
   
4. Lockdown: Some systems are finally locked down by either welding out in the field or by the use of some type of sheer pin. This can be a very scary situation and will no provide the proper support! Our brackets are locked down by using a 1” thick bar of steel on top of the pile. This bar has been tested over and over again and the results are always above the 120,000 lbs rating. Why would you pay good money for a repair system which uses a sheer pin to hold your house up?
   
   
5. Warranty: A warranty is a future contract between two parties which says the party that provided the service or product will stand behind the said work or service for a certain period of time. Companies that do not offer any type of warranty are trying to make money without the responsibility. Responsibility and service are what separates the good companies from the rest. With Champion there will not ever be a problem, because we sand by our work. We’d like to take a few sentences here and explain the difference between a “Limited Lifetime Repair” and a “30 Year Limited Warranty”. “Limited Lifetime Warranties” have been determined by the Florida State Supreme Court to have a potential life of as little as seven (7) years. This is due to the fact that the nature of the term “Lifetime” is not defined in construction repair issues. A thirty (30) year warranty is just that, it lasts for 30 years. It lasts from just after the install date to the same date 30 years in the future. If I had the choice of a 7 year and a 30 year warranty, it would be no question for me.

Your property is the quite possibly the biggest investment you will ever make and only the finest materials should be used. Other companies may use sub standard material and market themselves as the best. It may be the material they can best make a profit on. When in doubt, ask to see the materials they are using. Many are much smaller in size and support. We have tested other materials and at Champion we use FASTEEL for a reason; it is the best, most durable product on the market today.