A new approach to building foundations

Stop Digging ground screws provide a stable and secure ground anchor that saves time and money.

Using our screws will make your construction project simpler and easier. If you can avoid concrete, then there is no more having to dig the ground with plant machinery, no need to waste time waiting for it to set and no need to fix the mess caused by the whole laborious process! Ground screws can be installed all year round, even during a hard frost, and can be secured in most types of terrain. Once fitted they can be used immediately for further construction work.

Stop Digging’s ground screws should not be confused with the lightweight ground anchors that can be purchased in DIY outlets. By comparison Stop Digging’s robust ground screws are delivered and installed by our experienced and certified installers – an essential step for an important undertaking such as laying a foundation.

We undertake work for both domestic and business projects of any size. All of our installers undergo rigorous training in the use of our specialised equipment and in finding the best solution for you. Whatever the task you have, we have the right solution for you. We have completed projects across the U.S. Stop Digging has grown significantly with 5,000 screws sold in 2012 to 150,000 by 2018. We have set ourselves a goal of 500,000 by 2022.

Groundscrews can be used as a standard lightweight house foundation, with either timber or steel framing, any kind of transportable building, cabin or container, as well as decking, boardwalks, fences, soundwalls,  signposts, solar panel racking, street furniture, playground and outdoor gym equipment. As our fixing is so versatile, we can offer a tailored solution for a wide range of tough tasks – you have a problem – we have the ground screw to help!

We use the span tables from NZ3604 to determine quantity of groundscrews needed for a given size of timber bearer. This is the same process for any type of pile foundation.  For a typical bearer size of 140x90mm the max span is 1.65m.

So as an example, a free standing deck 8m long by 4m wide would require 3 bearers each with 6 groundscrews, resulting in 18 groundscrews in total.  We would ask how high above ground level the deck is proposed to be so we can specify the correct length of groundscrew to achieve this.

This depends on the soil type, load and of course what kind of project it is. We offer four basic models – adapter, pipe, post and beam screw – in a variety of lengths to meet your specific needs. They are especially suited to demanding terrain or locations with complex or historically sensitive structures where intrusive concrete foundations are not suitable. For example, we recently installed foundation screws for a single storey extension of a historic cob and stone house. All of our groundscrews are designed to exceed the requirements of the building code in the U.S.

Just as we would pre-drill hard stone for fixing a normal screw, we always drill a pilot hole before installing our ground screw in tricky terrain. This forces smaller stones or gravel aside and our equipment is powerful enough to split medium-sized rocks. If you are building on solid or large enough rocks, our installers can anchor with a drilled steel stud and use ground screws where the ground is more suitable. We offer a complete service with no need to wait for another specialist.

In newly excavated, soft or disturbed soil, our installers are trained to assess the ground and select longer screws if necessary to provide a secure and stable foundation. Our installers are specially trained to select the right screw for your project, install it correctly in whatever terrain they face and finish with the minimum of disruption.

We can mount ground screws all year round, even during a cold, hard winter. Our screws were originally developed to cope with the harsher conditions found in Scandinavia, so are well suited to conditions in the U.S., by comparison, is much gentler! Do you want to know more? Feel free to ask your local installer who has a specialist knowledge of your area and useful reference materials.

Our steel ground screws (ISO 630 FE 3604) are specifically developed and adapted to meet the requirements of the Building Code in the U.S. for structural design, and durability. All of our CE marked ground screws are hot-dip galvanized according to ISO 1461 and manufactured by ISO 9001 certified production facilities. They all come with a 25 year warranty.

Just like concrete supports, a ground screw can be affected by the ground settling over time, but they are not generally affected by other forces such as frost heave. Settlement of soil is especially an issue with freshly excavated or disturbed soil and our installers are trained to identify this and select longer screws to provide a deeper, more secure, fixing as needed.

We would consult with the architect, designer or structural engineer of the project to confirm design loads of the proposed building or structure.  We then are able to specify correct quantity, type and length of groundscrews to create a suitable foundation design.

We use a mixture of our database of in-ground load bearing capacities of our groundscrews, along with on site verification through our approved testing methodology.  This onsite testing provides tangible proof of load bearing capacity and confirmation the design loads have been achieved.

Please contact us for more information on the simple process of achieving compliance with the building code.

All of our screw models have been rigorously tested to cope with load, pressure and tension bearing and you can read more about our screws here. Our tests were made in normal arable land which we use to calculate the performance of our screws in different soils and terrain. We can test your ground to provide precise feedback for your project planning.

We offer a fixed price per installed ground screw. However, our prices vary depending on which screw you need to use and where in the country you are located.