CFA Drilling Explained: Pushing Depth, Torque, and Production Further

BAUER drilling rigs are engineered for real-world applications. In this blog series, we break down some of the most widely used BAUER foundation methods in North America, explaining where each application delivers the most value and why BAUER equipment consistently outperforms alternatives. Insights throughout the series are informed by Gordian Ulrich, ECA Vice President of Bauer Product Sales & Service, whose experience spans decades of real-world foundation construction across challenging ground conditions.

CFA Drilling: When Production Is the Priority

Continuous Flight Auger (CFA) drilling is often chosen when speed and efficiency are the primary drivers. In the right conditions, CFA can dramatically increase daily production compared to traditional Kelly drilling.

Why Contractors Choose CFA

One simple reason—production. Since CFA is a single pass method meaning the auger is being drilled down in one shot, and on the way up grout is being pumped through the stem, it is extremely productive. Also, since CFA does not use any casing, a single rotary head is sufficient which makes the conversion from a Kelly drilling rig into a CFA rig easy. 

Understanding the Limits

CFA is not a universal solution.  Depth capability and ground conditions can limit its effectiveness, which is where BAUER equipment stands apart. ECA offers BAUER V-style kinematic rigs such as BG 55, BG 45 or BG 33 which provide an advantage to customers who are looking for long stroke and high torque machines. 

Traditional CFA rigs focus on high rpm, big pull back capacity and long strokes, however most of them lack torque. That works fine until the job requires a “rock socket.” In those situations, torque is required to cut the rock and not to over excavate the material above rock. This is where the BAUER rigs really shine and enable contractors to propose a CFA pile instead of a drilled shaft or Kelly drilled pile. 

V-style rigs come with longer masts than the H-style rigs since the mast is being partially or completely removed for transport. For depths beyond the capability of a BG rig, ECA offers a vertical travel lead system with KDK on a MC 96 duty cycle crane. That unit can drill up to 150’. 

Keller holds the current world record for the deepest CFA pile with 207.5’ in Miami FL. This was achieved using a Berminghammer vertical travel lead with a KDK 390S powered by a separate power pack. 

BAUER Maschinen is continuing to refine its rig designs, pushing the limits of how deep CFA drilling can go. At the upcoming Bauer Open House in Germany this April, Bauer is set to unveil a new rig featuring CFA capabilities never seen before.

CFA Takeaway

CFA delivers outstanding production when paired with the right rig, tooling, and expertise. ECA helps contractors determine when CFA makes sense — and when another method will deliver better results.

Interested in learning more about CFA?

ECA offers a CFA Academy. This 5-day school is designed for drillers, project managers, designers or anybody who wants to learn how to install a CFA pile. Nine ECA trainers will teach the ins and outs of that application with a mix of classroom and hands-on training. Every participant has the opportunity to drill a CFA pile themselves with a BAUER rig paired up to an Olin grout pump. Reach out to your closest ECA branch or check out our Training page for more info. 

For more on CFA drilling, take a look at this online training session from ECA discussing the types of CFA and FDP kits that can be used on its BAUER drilling rigs. Gordian Ulrich leads an in-depth discussion that will help you to better understand the nuts and bolts of these components and how they can be used in various drilling processes.