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7 Everyday Things That Work Just Like a Screw Pile

  • Writer: Frank Leigh
    Frank Leigh
  • Aug 20
  • 3 min read

When people first hear the words screw pile, they often imagine some mysterious piece of heavy engineering kit buried underground. In reality, the principle is beautifully simple — and you probably use it every day without even noticing. Screw piles rely on the same spiral-threaded design you see in household tools, kitchen gadgets, and even toys.

Here are seven everyday things that work just like a screw pile (and might make you look at your toolbox or kitchen drawer differently):


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1. A Corkscrew 🍷

Twist it into the cork, and it pulls itself deeper with every turn. The spiral thread grips tight and transfers force into the material — exactly what happens when a screw pile bites into soil. The only difference? Instead of popping open a bottle of red, screw piles open the door to new foundations.


2. A Wood Screw 🔩

It’s in the name! Screws hold shelves, cupboards, and furniture together because their threads distribute load and resist pull-out. Now scale that idea up by a few metres and a few tonnes — you’ve got a screw pile holding up a building.


3. A Garden Hose Connector 💦

That satisfying twist that locks your hose to the tap? It’s the same principle: threads digging in to create a firm connection. A screw pile connects structures to the ground in just as secure a way (though sadly, no summer watering involved).


4. A Jar Lid 🥒

Ever wrestled with a stubborn jar of pickles? That’s thread resistance at work! The more you twist, the tighter the seal. Similarly, screw piles don’t just rely on downward force — their helical threads create resistance that locks them firmly in place.


5. An Ice Auger 🎣

If you’ve ever seen an auger bite into ice to make a fishing hole, you’ve basically seen a screw pile in action. The cutting edge makes installation quick and efficient, displacing material as it turns. Swap ice for soil, and you’ve got foundations ready to go.


6. A Pencil Sharpener ✏️

Think about it: you rotate the pencil, and the blades carve spirals as it goes deeper. That spiral motion is the same concept that lets a screw pile glide into the ground without brute force hammering.


7. A Child’s Spinning Top 🌀

Okay, this one’s a little more playful — but even a toy top shows how spirals and rotation create stability. When you spin it, it stands tall and resists wobbling, just like screw piles stabilise a structure once they’re in place.


Why It Matters - The Screw pile!

Screw piles aren’t magic; they’re clever engineering inspired by one of the oldest mechanical principles — the simple screw thread. By twisting into the ground rather than being dug or hammered in, screw piles:

  • Install quickly with minimal disruption

  • Provide immediate load-bearing capacity

  • Are reusable and eco-friendly

  • Work in a wide variety of soils and conditions


So next time you open a bottle of wine, tighten a screw, or battle a jam jar, you’re using the same principle that’s holding up bridges, solar farms, homes, and even Antarctic huts.

Screw piles: simple, strong, and maybe not so different from your kitchen drawer after all.


 
 
 

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