Your questions about ground screws

Ground screws only work as foundations after they have been driven into the ground. For this reason, the soil composition is a crucial factor when it comes to ensuring the stability of the foundations. Our products can be used in almost all types of substrate, even in rock. However, a pre-drilled hole is needed here. Our products cannot be used in aggressive or contaminated soils. A geological survey (soil survey) can give an insight into the soil composition and the load-bearing capacity of the substrate. This must be consulted during the foundation planning. Chemical soil analyses, which are often part of the geological survey, provide important data about the aggressiveness of the soil.

The quantity and type of ground screw needed depends on the composition of the soil and the load that will be placed on the ground screws. Our engineers and operators can advise you in this area. 

There are different screw drivers that can be used depending on the type of ground screw used. They range from electric hand-held ground screw drivers, to hydraulic screw driving vehicles or add-ons for caterpillars and other construction machines. Here at Krinner, we develop and manufacture our own screw drivers and other devices.  For small ground screw foundations it is also possible to manually drive the screws in with a crank.

In principle, yes. For less challenging applications that do not require a structural analysis to be performed beforehand, you can carry out the installation yourself either manually with a screw-in rod or you can rent a ground screw driver from one of our sales partners. For challenging applications (like building foundations for a residential building) you must seek advice and help from an expert.

You can get our ground screws from any of our listed sales partners. You can find your closest retailer here.

No, the foundation system can be installed without needing to move any earth or do any concrete work. In addition, the area surrounding your construction site remains largely undamaged as despite being powerful, the ground screw drivers are small, light and easy to manoeuvre. You can find out more about the advantages of our ground screws here.

In principle you can reuse the ground screws, provided that they are not damaged. This needs to be assessed on a case-by-case basis. If the ground screw cannot be used again, it can be recycled and therefore disposed of in a sustainable way.

To ensure a proper planning of the foundations, a geological survey (soil survey) must be carried out so that you can get an insight into what the soil composition is like. A foundation plan is then created using the results from this survey and the requirements of the load (vertical and horizontal) that will be placed on the foundations. After this, a load-bearing test is carried out at the construction site to check that the product is suitable for the intended application. Only after these steps have been taken can the ground screw foundation be installed. Often, this doesn’t take longer than a day and the load can be placed on the foundations immediately. You can find a detailed overview of the project process here.

Ground screws are not yet a regulated construction product. This means that the use of this construction product is not yet covered by a harmonised standard under EU law that has been introduced in Germany. Therefore, you have to get an approval from the highest building authority in your region (only in Germany) based on your individual case, which is usually granted. However, this process doesn’t provide any information about whether the product is suitable or safe, although this has already been clearly established for ground screws. The case-by-case approval process only ensures that new and innovative products can be put on the market until they are regulated by a specific standard.