Foundation Repair is the process of repairing the very backbone of your home. Whether your home has significant cracks or shifting soil, it is important to seek professional repairs right away.
A geotechnical engineer can perform an inspection and recommend the best solution for your unique situation. Most repair methods involve digging underneath your home to reestablish support. Visit Website to learn more.
Concrete piles are a commonly used substructure component in a wide variety of construction and foundation repair applications. They are known for their high load capacity, ability to resist drainage issues, ease of installation and affordability.
Piles transfer loads from the superstructure to deeper soil or rock, ensuring adequate bearing capacity and minimal settlement and lateral movement. They can be made of concrete, steel or timber and installed through driving, drilling or jacking methods.
Like any structural component, piles can become damaged due to a number of factors such as corrosion, deterioration and aging. This damage can affect the pile’s structural integrity and its load-bearing capacity. Effective pile repair techniques must be applied in order to restore the function and safety of the supported structure.
The most common repair method for damaged concrete piles is pile cylinder or jacket encapsulation. This method consists of wrapping a new shell or jacket around an existing damaged pile and filling the annular space between the old and new jacket with a high-strength grout or epoxy resin to enhance its structural performance.
Another effective concrete pile repair technique is pile encapsulation by Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) materials. GFRP jackets are manufactured with chopped fiberglass mat impregnated with vinyl ester or polyester resin and then formed into a form by heat, pressurization or both. The resulting GFRP jacket is then wrapped around the existing damaged pile to completely encapsulate it and provide improved load-bearing capability.
For a more cost-effective and quicker solution, pile jacking can also be employed to lift a sunken or settled pile. This method involves jacking the pile up using hydraulic jacks, then installing an underpinning system such as steel plates or H-piles to stabilize and reinforce the foundation.
For more serious damages to concrete piles, underwater encapsulation is available. This method uses a concrete mixture that seeps through the outer PVC jacket to repair damage from marine organisms, corrosion and deterioration, as well as to address problems like cracking and spalling. A specialized concrete mix can also be injected to reinforce damaged tendons and bearing beams.
Poured Concrete Piers
Concrete piers are another way to stabilize and lift a foundation. They are less expensive than other types of piers and work well for many different soil conditions. They also do not deteriorate quickly, making them an excellent choice for lifting a foundation and other uses.
To install concrete piers, the first step is to dig holes to a depth of up to 20 feet under the house. This is done with an auger, a type of drilling equipment that can dig very deep holes. Once the hole has been dug, steel reinforcement is placed inside it and then a mixture of concrete is poured. The concrete is allowed to cure before workers attach it to the home.
The number of concrete piers required to support a home will depend on the location, size and severity of the damage caused by the foundation shifting or sinking. In some cases, the number of piers needed may be reduced by using other methods, such as slab jacking. Slab jacking is used to correct minor shifts in the foundation that are not severe enough for other methods.
Once the concrete piers are in place, beams are attached to them to help lift the foundation and keep it level. Because the piers are made of concrete, they are not susceptible to heaving or other soil issues, which helps prevent future problems with your foundation.
In many cases, concrete piers will last for as long as your home is owned. However, if you plan to sell your home in the future, it is important to have other preventative measures in place. For example, a waterproof membrane will help keep out damaging moisture and ensure that your foundation stays dry. This will help extend the life of your concrete piers and make your home more attractive to potential buyers.
If you are experiencing foundation cracks, it is important to consult with a professional to learn more about your repair options. Different solutions offer different kinds of relief and some are more suited to long-term use than others. A foundation repair expert can tell you which solution will be best for your situation and your budget.
Steel Push-Piers
Push piers, also known as resistance piers, are sturdy steel supports that are hydraulically driven deep into the earth beneath your foundation. They reach refusal (a point at which they can no longer be pushed down further) underneath your home, where they connect with bedrock or competent load-bearing stratum and offer solid support for your foundation. Using your home’s weight as a counterweight, these piers stabilize and lift your foundation to prevent further settlement. They work perfectly alongside concrete lifting and crawl space encapsulation to provide a comprehensive, whole-home repair strategy.
What sets push piers apart from other products used for foundation repair is their ability to address a wide range of problems that cause foundation settlement. This includes soil erosion from water runoff, which can swell and sink the foundation, as well as heaving from moisture imbalance that results in shifting, cracking, or movement of the foundation. It also includes soil shrinkage due to evaporation or tree roots, and heaving caused by plumbing leaks.
Unlike helical and pressed-in piers, which use bracket systems to transfer the load of your foundation, push piers bear the load directly on their head, which provides more stability and durability over time. In addition, push piers are less invasive than their competitors, which can take more time to install and require digging, as well as be more susceptible to angle issues that can compromise long-term structural integrity.
Like other foundation repair methods, push piers are installed by drilling through the footer of your existing foundation and driving them in at a depth that is calculated to reach bedrock or competent load-bearing soils. During this process, the soil is carefully removed from around the footer area to prepare for the installation of the pier. After the piers are installed, they are load tested with a hydraulic jack to ensure that they can support your structure’s full weight.
Upon completion of the load testing phase, your home can be immediately lifted onto the piers, so you can get back to living in your home right away! There’s no need to wait for concrete to cure or to remove soil from the site, and because all of the piers are installed with relatively quiet hydraulic equipment, you won’t even know they’re there until they pass your load test.
Helical Piers
Helical piers, also known as screw piles, transfer foundation loads from unstable soil to bedrock or more stable strata. They also can lift settling foundation sections. Unlike concrete piers, which require excavation, helical piers thread into the ground and minimize time and disturbance to your home or other structures. They can be used for light or heavy loads, and angled piering can straighten and reinforce a bowing foundation wall. They are resistant to corrosion and can last for decades without replacement.
They are a good choice for new construction and for underpinning residential and commercial structures. They can be installed in any soil condition, including clay, sand, gravel, and rock. They are quick and simple to install, and their load-bearing capacity increases as they are driven into the ground. They produce very little noise, vibration, or disturbance to the surrounding soil layers, and are resistant to corrosion and decay.
Like a screw, they have shafts with helix plates that can be driven into the ground by using portable hydraulic equipment until a suitable bearing capacity is reached. The size of the shaft and the diameter of the helix plates are determined by soil conditions and the load they will bear. Extensions can be added to the lead section to continue driving the pier into the ground. Once a helical pier has been driven into the earth, a bracket connects the helical pier to your home’s foundation.
When you get a bid for helical pier installation, it’s important to ask your contractor about potential underground pipes and wires that might need to be moved. A reputable contractor will be able to tell you where these lines are, and will notify you of any additional costs for digging in those areas.
Foundation settlement can be caused by many things, including a loss of soil moisture due to erosion or plant roots, hot and dry weather, aging infrastructure, and even a change in the amount of rainfall. The best way to reduce the likelihood of your foundation shifting is through preventative maintenance, such as yearly inspections and routine watering around your foundation.