Unlimited Drilling: Homeowners might think it's cause for alarm if their foundation begins settling; after all, it serves as the main support of the structure.
However, foundation damage can be repaired. There are various methods available for each type of foundations - some more substantial than others - but in this article, we'll focus on some of the most popular and effective techniques for doing just that.
Slab Jacking
Construction contractors typically place fill dirt along foundation slabs during construction to fill any voids created during work. Over time this dirt may settle causing non uniform slab support. Slab jacking offers a solution by pumping under slab grout that lifts and compacts. It also fills any voids to restore uniform support of the structure.
Uneven slabs cause rainwater to flow toward a home instead of away from it, leading to moisture damage, mold growth, and the eventual rotting of structural wood flooring systems. They may also contribute to crooked walls as well as doors and windows which no longer open or close properly.
Saber Geotechnical Construction Solutions utilizes push piers and SmartJacks to stabilize foundations that have sunk due to soil erosion or settlement, enabling homeowners to keep the same footprint without the need for demolition and rebuilding. Furthermore, unlike pouring new foundations this method is less destructive and noise free!
Poured Concrete Piers
If your foundation requires replacement, poured concrete piers offer an economical solution. Resembling simple cylindrical objects made of reinforced concrete with steel reinforcement inside, they can help repair pier-and-beam or slab foundations with minimal disruption and expense.
These foundation piers can be susceptible to frost heave and must be installed deep enough in the soil so they do not lift during winter, often necessitating more extensive excavation than for other foundation piers.
Along with piers themselves, additional equipment will be necessary. This includes a power auger (ideally mounted to a skid steer or mini excavator), post hole digger, concrete mixer (though wheelbarrow may suffice in certain instances), power auger and more.
Helical Piers
As opposed to push piers, helical piers are installed by screwing them into the ground instead of pushing them into place. When their load-bearing depth has been reached - determined by an integrated pressure gauge system on each pier - steel brackets are attached directly to your foundation to complete their connection to each pier.
Your foundation damage depends on its severity; minor issues can often be repaired with only a few helical piers while moderate and severe problems will require more to stabilize your building and avoid further settling or structural damage.
Helical piers can help support additional structures on your property such as mezzanines, garages, pole barns or porches. Installed during site preparation, these piers can withstand heavy loads on unstable soil conditions while being fast to install without drilling into foundations which reduces installation costs significantly - they can even be loaded immediately post installation without waiting for curing time!
Resistance Piers
ATLAS Resistance Pier System uses your structure's weight as its reaction force to drive steel pipe pier sections into the soil, helping restore and stabilize residential, commercial, industrial foundations that have settled, as well as lifting and stabilizing pier and beam foundations, equipment foundations, machinery foundations, tower foundations and tower bases.
Each pier comes fitted with a friction reduction collar to minimize skin friction during installation and increase drive capacity. Each is installed using quiet hydraulic equipment and load tested prior to being load tested as a system to guarantee structural support.
Design specialist created a map of potential pier locations on the property before beginning our crew's project of excavating and drilling through concrete to reach soil beneath it, installing three push piers to lift and stabilize their home.
