ScrewFast Foundations Ltd
7 - 14 Smallford WorksSmallford Lane
St Albans
Herts
AL4 0SA
United Kingdom
Tel: 01727 821282
Fax: 01727 828098
Brief Background of the Business.
Peter Dunn is M.D. of Mini Soil Surveys Limited, a site investigation company which he started in 1987 and their head office is in Bolton.
In 1998, Duncan and Beth McGregor and Rod Ward Able, then recently arrived from South Africa, purchased a Mini Soil Surveys Franchise and did an excellent job in building up what had become a poorly serviced franchise in South East England. Their 5 year franchise was due for renewal in late 2004, but they decided not to renew and formed their own geotechnical company which they have called Aardvark Site Investigations Ltd which is an independent company and operates from ScrewFast Foundations offices.
Much of the soils exploration carried out by Mini Soils and Aardvark is for Telecom mast providers and rail side structures.
In September 1999 Duncan visited Australia and investigated the screw pile foundation system, a method of piling invented by the Victorians in England, but no longer used here. It is however used extensively for compression piling in Australia and tension anchoring in the USA. Duncan decided that screw piling could be re-introduced here with success, particularly for tall structures for which we carry out site investigations. This synergy has been useful for both companies.
ScrewFast Foundations Limited was incorporated on 5th January 2000 with Peter Dunn, Duncan and Beth McGregor, and Rod Ward Able as shareholders. Peter Dunn is Chairman of the Board, Duncan and Peter are both Chartered Engineers. Peter is a member of the Institute of Structural Engineers UK. Duncan is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and is also a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining - They have patented improvements and innovations to the original concept and have developed the tension-compression pile which has multiple uses in resisting uplift and cyclical loadings. This has proved most effective on Rail for trackside structures as well as for masts for communication towers and conventional building structures.
The company has grown rapidly and is fast becoming the preferred foundation system for speed signs, signal and OLE structures on rail side and for telecom masts. A new product called the Angel Pile® has been launched and is already proving to be very popular.
Mission Statement
“ScrewFast Foundations is the acknowledged leader in the helical pile industry, a position it strives to maintain through honest appraisal of its methods, and a continual research and development of its approach to design and problem solving across all sectors of its market place in the UK. In a word, ScrewFast Foundations Ltd wish to be the BENCHMARK against which its competitors measure themselves”. 