Settling Foundation Repair: Symptoms of foundation settlement include concrete cracks, sloping floors, sticking windows and doors. In most cases, excessive foundation settlement stems from an underlying soils problem.
What Causes Settling Foundation Problems? Foundation settlement can be caused from a variety of issues, such as:
- Buried organic subsoils (swampy land)
- Poorly placed fill soils
- Changes in water drainage
- Frost heaving
Our specialty trained crews are highly experienced in performing the following Geo-Structural technologies:
- Resistance Piering: Resistance piers are used to stabilize a settilng foundation when very dense soils are within a reasonable distance. This end-bearing piling system has been in use for almost a century since the invention of modern hydraulics.
- Wood Pile Repair: Many of the "Brownstyle" buildings in the Boston area were founded on driven wood piles that are now rotting.
- Helical Pile Anchoring: In the right soil sonditions, helical piles can work well to repair a sinking foundation. The helical pier effectively screws through the poor soils and anchors into the better soils below.
- Foundation Underpinning: Conventional underpinning consists of extending a foundation down to deeper soils. This technique is effective when good load bearing soils are within a reasonable distance below the foundation.
- Drilled Micro-Piles: Drilled micro-piles are very effective when buried rocks and rubble are located below a foundation. In these cases, the drilled pile can advance through the obstruction-laden fills and advance down to the better soils below. In general, this is the most advanced and expensive piling system for foundation repair. When rocks and rubble are below the foundation, this system may be the only way to provide a permenent solution to a settling foundation.
- Permeation Grouting: Permeation grouting is a specalty technique of improving the structural characteristics of the underlying soils through a controlled injection process. When done properly in the right conditions, permeation grouting can be a cost effective technology for soil improvement.
Contact us to see how we can help with your project.
