Piers for [New] Pools!

Again, I want to talk about swimming pools, even though it's early in the year and few of us are actually putting on swimming trunks anytime soon. What are we discussing this time? How about your brand new swimming pool?

Indeed, if you're thinking about adding a swimming pool to your home this season, then you need to consider foundation piers for your swimming pool. Why are foundation piers an important part of new pool construction? Because they support your swimming pool as the soil underneath it (and surrounding it) expands and contracts with different amounts of moisture. You wouldn't consider building a new house without proper support, so why would you build a swimming pool without proper support?

We may not give it much thought, but swimming pools are very heavy. Think about the structure that goes into building a pool and then add the weight of thousands of gallons of water. And, as with any heavy structure, your swimming pool needs support.

And, consider this. You have a very heavy structure "floating" in the soil of your backyard. And, just like a inflatable toy or chair bobbing in your pool, your swimming pool itself "bobs" in the soil, albeit at a much less noticeable rate. That is, as the amount of water in the soil changes, the soil expands and contracts, lifting and lowering your pool and pushing it from side-to-side. Your pool doesn't have to move much for damage to occur. Cracks and loose (and eventually leaking) plumbing are almost guaranteed when your pool moves too much.

Swimming pool repair isn't cheap and a broken swimming pool isn't usable or any fun. It's just a great big hole in the ground.

So, when you are discussing pool construction with your swimming pool contractor, be sure to ask about how the pool is to be supported and about foundation piers for your new pool. If the pool contractor says piers aren't necessary, then run — don't walk — away and find yourself another contractor. The extra you spend now on proper pier support for you swimming pool is a lot less (and a lot less aggravation) than what you'll spend later on for pool repairs and installation of piers after the new construction.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Time to Think About Your Swimming Pool

Here we are, deep in the midst of February, and I want to talk about your swimming pool. That's crazy, isn't it?

What's even more crazy is ignoring any cracks in your swimming pool, ignoring any paving or decking that looks like it's risen or sunk from the lip of the pool, and ignoring any mysterious leaks in the pluming which serves the pool. More likely than not, the swimming pool is the focus of your backyard and figures greatly into your family's plan for summer fun. It's also one of the largest investments a family makes in their home. So, it'd be crazy to ignore cracks, paving and decking problems, and plumbing problems with your swimming pool.

Why are these clues important and what do they have to do with foundations? Read on and find out.

Cracks in your pool indicate that one or more parts of your pool are moving in different directions and/or different rates than the rest of the swimming pool. This is exactly the same as what happens to your home's foundation: Changes in the moisture content of the soil around and under your swimming pool causes the pool (or parts of it) to shift up and down and side-to-side. Most people don't connect swimming pools with foundation piers, but swimming pools are very heavy affairs and need support. Think about how heavy the pool's structure is, and then add to that thousands of gallons of water, and you have a very heavy item riding on and in the soil.

If you see the paving or decking around your swimming pool rising or sinking below the edge of the pool, what may be happening is that the pool itself is moving, not the paving or decking. As with cracks in the pool, lifting and sinking of the swimming pool are indicative of soil problems.

As for plumbing leaks, these can be caused when the pool shifts and pulls the plumbing fittings loose or apart. Why did the pool shift? It could be that it is riding up and down, left and right, back and forth on soil that is expanding and contracting due to changes in its moisture content.

So, what can you do about this? First off, have a structural engineer look at the pool and determine what's going on. If indeed there's a problem with the pool moving about, then you need to consider foundation piers. Just as foundation piers support your home's foundation and limit its movement to negligible amounts, they can do the same for your swimming pool.

And, as with foundation repair on your home, the proper location and installation of piers under your swimming pool can be done with limited impact on your landscaping, decking, and schedule.

If you have questions about foundation piers for pools, feel free to call us at 972-272-19000 and we'll be happy to provide you with answers.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Below is another excellent question from our "Ask Us Anything" page on our foundation repair website.

Danny,

Thanks for the question. Without a deeper structural investigation, it is really difficult to identify the exact problem. You may want to hire an independent structural engineer to look into it for you. If you call my office,(972) 272-1900, you can request a list of engineers to work from.

What I DO KNOW is that houses in this area are ALWAYS in a state of movement. That is directly tied to their dependence on the soil upon which they are built, clay soil. Clay soil is always in transition related to the infusion of moisture or the loss of moisture; when this soil absorbs water, like the melting snow and ice, it expands and lifts the house up with it

When we leave a wet season and enter our infamous Texas Summers, the soil starts to dry out, shrink, and contract in a downward motion. Of course, the house must follow the soil.

Most houses go through this 'slow motion roller coaster ride' without showing any stress signs greater than a few 'hairline' cracks in brick mortar or wall board, at least for their first couple of decades. BUT, they will 'snap, crackle and pop' as they go through the motions and that just may be what you have going on. The above mentioned 'roller coaster ride' is why you hear people harping on the subject of WATERING YOUR FOUNDATION. It is not the foundation which needs the water, but it is the soil around it that does need the water in order to limit the shrinking and pulling away from the foundation. But the opposite is true when we are getting a lot of rain: you want to make sure all excess runoff goes somewhere other than pooling next to your foundation.

I hope this simple answer helps you some. There a lot of other factors which can contribute to the situation such as the number of, size of, and placement of trees and shrubs; the contour of landscaping; the gutters; whether the home was built on fill dirt etc.

Feel free to contact me with any further questions I may be able to help with.

Sincerely,
Alan Ardoin

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Of Bedrock & Helical Piers; From "Ask Us Anything"

Ellen sent two questions into our "Ask Us Anything" page, so here's here second question and our answer. Be sure to go back and see her first question concerning piers and load bearing walls, if you haven't read that post, yet.

Question

Should a contractor ALWAYS be able to find bedrock if they drill
in helical or steel piers?

Answer

Dear Ellen, another great question.

No, a contractor will not always find "bedrock" when installing Helical Piers or Steel piers, especially in the DFW Metroplex.

For starters, "bedrock" has a specific geological definition and is not found here in our area. This is why the contractor should make the effort to terminate their piers into "load bearing strata". The definition of load bearing strata can be a little subjective but it can also get technical. The main components of the definition, at least for my company, are: the pier should be at least 15' deep and should encounter a strata which produces enough resistance to support two times the weight of the structure it will carry.

Since any type of "rock" in this area of Texas can be at depths from 2 to 100 feet, affordability becomes a factor for the home owner. We have pushed our steel piers as deep as 98' in order to reach a strata that would not allow further advancement of the piers. This is where the helical piers come to the rescue of the budget.

The helical pier is designed to be installed at low speed and high torque until it bears into a strata which produces sufficient resistance to meet our criteria and then it is terminated. Sort of like when you screw a screw into a piece of lumber and the progress is easy until the screw reaches a harder layer of the wood and halts the process.

For example, where a thick bed of sand stone lies 85' deep and the steel pier would have to be driven that deep, the helical may only need to be advanced 35' deep to find a good strata for support. This is why my company has kept a database of the depths we have driven our steel piers on past jobs. When we are called to provide an estimate for a home owner, we can pull up past jobs nearest to their property and get a good idea where "load bearing strata" is and use that information to help advise the customer.

Again, feel free to forward any other questions you have and I will do my best to get you answers.

Sincerely,
Alan Ardoin.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Of Piers & Beams; From "Ask Us Anything"

If you haven't had a chance to check out the "Ask Us Anything" page on our website, then you're missing out. Here's the most recent question and our answer.

Question

1) How many beams would you expect to find under a home that is 63 feet wide and 26 feet deep, plus has a garage 18 by 18 added to the back of one side?

2) Should interior piers be placed under the beams if the foundation is getting raised at least 3 inches?

3) Would one expect to find a beam under a load supporting wall that runs 63 feet from the west to the east side down the center of the home (centered at 13 feet deep)?

Answer

Dear Ellen,

Great Questions! While we are not builders or construction engineers, we have developed some construction-related perspectives due to the multitude of houses we have sought to repair. I am going to attempt to answer your questions based on the presumption that the home of which you speak is built on a slab on grade concrete foundation.

The number of beams one would expect to find and the number of beams present, if any, can be quite different. I would LIKE to find three beams from side to side; one being directly under the primary load bearing wall and another seven (7) feet offset on either side of it. If the foundation is going to be lifted three (3) or more inches then, YES, I would want the piers placed to directly support the beams.

It is not a matter of whether the foundation COULD BE LIFTED if the piers are not under the beams, but IT IS a matter of whether anything less will assure you of a LONG TERM HOLD without breaking the foundation at the point of contact at each pier.

As far as a beam being UNDER the load bearing wall, that is where one would hope to find one. But rarely have we found that to be the case; the most common situation we find is where the load bearing wall sits off from the beam two to three feet.

Some other concerns for you to consider are the pier type and depth, the stress the lift will place on all plumbing and the preparation of gas and electrical connections so they will lift with the house without being broken. Also,if you have not hired an independent engineer to design the scope of work to be attempted then I would highly recommend that.

If you have any more questions we can address please let me know.

Sincerely,
Alan Ardoin.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Why Chimneys Fail

There aren't many days when North Texas home owners actually get to build a fire in their fireplaces. This translates into well over 300 days out of the year where the fireplace gets as much respect as last year's treadmill — used to hold lots of stuff but mainly ignored.

But, when we do get 'a Blue Norther' blowing through, many home owners are thwarted in their efforts to enjoy the charm and warmth of a nice crackling fire. Now that they are ready to use their fireplace, many are stopped in their tracks when they notice daylight coming through the firebox or they can feel a cold draft coming in from outside. As their investigation leads them to bundle up and go outside, they are shocked to find that the chimney is falling away from their house and headed toward their neighbor's living room! It is at that moment that they are REALLY GLAD they didn't get to build a fire and risk burning down their whole house.

The bad news is that this happens to many North Texas fireplaces. The good news is that the majority of them can be saved to warm another day. Of course everybody wants to know: "WHY does my chimney not want to play well with the rest of the house?!"

I have seen many different fireplace scenarios over the years, such as the home owner who heard a very loud noise and discovered his entire chimney lying in his yard — it had been struck by lightning. Or the ones that were built inside of the house and were sitting on nothing but the floor for support-- those are not fun. But the majority of them are your standard fireplaces, built on the outer wall and bricked to match the house. In my years of experience I have reached the opinion that there are four primary reasons our fireplaces fail.

First of all, they are built tall, with a lot of weight and sitting on a very small concrete base. It is just a matter of time before the base gives way to the weight.

Second of all, the clay soil under the concrete base is always lifting and sinking as we go through the seasons and this works the chimney up and down and slowly gets it moving away from the adjoining wall.

Third of all, the tops of our fireplaces are constantly being impacted by strong winds which force outward directional movement.

And last but not least, they are almost never built with deep support piers under the base to help counter the other reasons.

Remember the good news: most failing fireplaces can be repaired and saved to "warm another day". What to do,what to do,what to do? You could call several foundation repair companies, but you risk going with a contractor whose enthusiasm exceeds their skill and it is too important of a problem to risk that. Your best bet would be to consult a structural engineer and proceed from there.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

What is a Footing?

The footing (a.k.a. "spread footing") is the bottom part of the foundation and is usually made of concrete and reinforced with steel (rebar). The footing forms the base of the foundation and spreads the vertical loads from building.

Footing requirements are usually covered by municipal building codes and sized with respect to the bearing capacity of the soil and the building's weight. While we typically don't need to worry about this in north Texas and southern Oklahoma, other areas may be subject to seasonal frost. In these areas, the bottom of the footing must be below the frost line to prevent damage to the footing because of frost heave.

Types of Footings

The most common types of footings are:

Spot Footings

A spot or pad footing is used to support a single point of contact, such as under a pier or post. Spot footings are usually a 2' by 2' square pad, 10" to 12" thick, and made with reinforced concrete.

Continuous Spread Footing

A continuous spread footing is mainly used to provide a stable base around the perimeter of a building. Spread footings are often augmented with interior spot footings. The spread footing supports the weight of the exterior or foundation walls. The thickness of the footing provides the necessary strength for that support. The wide width of the footing base provides a large area with which to transfer the weight from the walls to the ground. This is key to preventing settlement.

Grade Beam Footing

A grade beam footing is a continuous reinforced-concrete member used to support loads with minimal bending. Grade beams are capable of spanning across non-load bearing areas, and are commonly supported by soil or pilings.Grade beam footings differ from continuous spread footings in how they distribute loads. The depth of a grade beam footing is designed to distribute loads to bearing points, while the width of a continuous spread footing is designed to transfer loads to the ground.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

What Cold Weather Means for Your Foundation

When we think about building foundation problems in north Texas, we tend to think about Summer. Perhaps it's our nearly perennial droughts or maybe it's because we're outside in the yard more and we notice the soil more. In any case, you're among good company if thoughts of foundation problems are few and far between this time of year.

But, for all the Summer conditions that lead to foundation problems, there's a Winter condition, too. First off, where soil contracts due to lack of moisture during the Summer, it can expand during the Winter as ice storms, rains, and cold temperatures keep more water in the soil. Expanding soil can push a foundation upward; this is caused heave.

And, while we don't have the brutally cold winters like Chicago or Minnesota, it does indeed get cold in north Texas and southern Oklahoma. Frost damage can occur to foundations with unheated slabs on grade. Frost heave is caused when ice forms within the soil, causing overall volume of soil to increase. When the volume of soil increases, it can heave the foundation.

What can you do to prevent problems like excess moisture and frost heave? Try the following:

• Keep an eye out for the usual signs of foundation damage: cracks in the sheet rock, newly wrinkled wallpaper, stuck windows and doors, popped floor tiles, cracks in the fireplace, etc. Call a foundation repair professional if you see one or more of these problems and get an expert opinion right away.
• The next time it rains, pull on a coat and some waterproof shoes or boots and take a walk around the exterior of your home. This is your chance to look for puddles against the foundation. You do not want water against the foundation! Wherever you find water pooling against the house, mark it with a stake or other marker. Hire someone to fix the drainage at these points. (Or, you can do it yourself.)
• Check outdoor spigots and your sprinkler system for cracks and freezes. These items are your first line of defense come Spring and Summer, but now's the time that these items freeze and break.

These simple winter foundation maintenance tips can make a big difference between comfort, costs, and your family's piece of mind — so be sure to take a few minutes now so you won't have big problems later.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Foundation Repair Glossary, The Entire List

As promised, here's our complete Foundation Repair Glossary in one great big list. Remember, if you have a question about any of these terms, be sure to ask us!

Active Zone

This is the depth of soil instability or movement, usually caused by changes in moisture. Sometimes, the active zone is referred to as the Seasonal Zone.

Bell Bottom Pier

A concrete pier that has a bell-shaped bearing surface.

Builder Piers

When the builder pours the grade beam for a pier and beam foundation, the builder piers are poured first. Builder piers are poured with a spacing of four to eight feet apart and to an average depth of three to four feet. These piers hold the grade beam in place. Sometimes builder piers fail, due to their low level of placement.

Clay

Crawl Space

The space between the bottom of the structure and the ground. This is common or necessary with pier and beam foundations. A properly engineered crawlspace allows enough room to vent moisture and allow for work on plumbing, electrical, and other utilities under the building.

Composed primarily of fine-grained minerals, clay is a naturally occurring component of soil. Clay expands greatly when mixed with water but then significantly contracts when water is withdrawn. Soil expansion and contraction is one of the leading causes of foundation failure.

Deviation

Deviation is the amount by which the structure is not level. That is, the structure has deviated from its specifications and true level. Naturally, a home with a great deal of deviation requires more work (piers) to bring it back to level.

Differential Settlement

The difference in movement vertically between different parts of the foundation; Non-trivial differential settlement can cause foundation failure.

Drilled Pier

Drilled piers involve drilling a hole at an angle to a predetermined depth under the slab, then using rebar to build a form in, then filling in the hole with concrete. If the conditions that caused the foundation to fail in the first place aren't remedied, then it's highly likely that the drilled pier will fail in time.

Elevation

Elevation is the series of measurements used to determine the difference in height between a central point and other points.

Engineers Report

An engineering report is done after a foundation has been repaired or before a structure is purchased. The report determines whether or not the foundation can perform its intended function and whether or not any remedial foundation repairs are necessary. In Texas, the report is a level "B" investigation (as described by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and the American Society of Civil Engineers). The report will be sealed and signed by a Professional Engineer. The engineering report usually includes: Foundation Analysis, Interior Observations, Exterior Observations, Conclusions, Recommendations, and Photo File.

Epoxy Injection

Epoxy injection is used for concrete in manner similar to how welding is used for steel. That is, epoxy is used to fill cracks in concrete; often times, though, the cracks remain as weak point in the foundation.

Footing

Footings, typically constructed of steel-reinforced concrete, is the bottom part of the foundation. The footing spreads the vertical loads from the building sitting on top of the foundation. With slab foundations, the footing is usually two feet and runs the entire perimeter of the slab.

Foundation

A home foundation is that part of the structure that is in direct contact with the ground. The foundation transmits the weight of the entire home and itself to the supporting soil.

French Drain

A drain that is used to collect water that migrates under ground. It is not used to collect large amounts of water from a heavy rain fall. French Drains are usually dug down 36-48 inches. Then 1 1/4” river rock is placed at the bottom of the trench and a 4” corrugated pipe is placed over this rock. Once in place, the trench is filled with river rock to approximately 4-6” below grade. The last 4-6” are then topped with soil and/or sod.

Galvanizing

Galvanized metal is made via an electromechanical process by which steel (or iron, or other metal) is coated with a non-rusting metal, such as zinc. The zinc simply isn't painted on the steel but rather is deposited and bonded to the steel via electrode position. The long and short of it all is that the steel is protected by the zinc and not subject to rust.

Grade

The level of ground surface. The grade can also refer to the rise or fall of the ground over a given distance.

Grade Beam

The grade beam is the concrete support that goes around the perimeter of a Pier & Beam foundation. This is what home and bricks are supported by along the perimeters. The concrete grade beam is, on average, poured 18-20 inches below soil grade and is reinforced with rebar laid inside the concrete for additional support.

Helical Pier

A helical pier is a steel shaft to which circular steel plates have been welded at an angle (thing of a large screw). Helical piers offer more resistance and support than traditional steel piers, which do not have steel plates.

Initial Site Inspection

An initial site inspection determines the most likely cause of damage and if it's caused by the foundation. The initial site inspection requires the inspector to gather lots of information including but not limited to structural and architectural drawings, grading plans, and plat of survey.

Jacking

A method by which a static driving force is performed on a pile by jacks.

Live Load

This is the additional weight added to a structure by people, furniture, snow, ice, water, etc.

Mudjacking

A foundation repair process used by some foundation repair businesses where water and soil cement or soil-lime-cement grout is pumped beneath the slab to lift the slab to the desired position. We recommend mudjacking only for flat concrete surfaces such as garage floors, driveways, pool and patio decks.

Pier

A support under a structure's foundation. Piers can be made of wood, steel, concrete and sunk into the ground or resting atop ground (for smaller structures).

Pier and Beam

A foundation construction method where the structure is supported several feet off the ground by pillars and posts or pilings (a.k.a. the piers).

Pier Depth

The depth to which piers are sunk. Piers must reach a depth that provides adequate support. This means to bedrock or to a particular soil density. The deeper the piers must be sunk, the more expensive the foundation repair job will be.

Post-Tensioning Cable Foundations

A foundation construction technique where high-strength steel strands or cables, typically referred to as tendons, create a grid of steel cables that actively support the slab.

Pressed Pier

A pressed pier is made up of individual pilings that are pre-pressed and pre-formed. These pilings, in turn, are pressed into the ground using a hydraulic press. The individual pilings are locked to each other with steel shims or a piece of cable.

Rebar

Rebar, also known as reinforcing steel or reinforcement steel, is a common steel bar used to reinforced concrete.

Refusal

The condition reached when a pier can't be driven any farther, like when the pier reaches an impenetrable bottom such as rock). The term refusal may be used to indicate the specified minimum penetration per blow. Driving piers beyond refusal can damage the piers.

Retaining Wall

A retaining wall supports eroding soil in areas where the ground is likely to shift. Retaining walls can also provide additional support to foundations built up with fill dirt.

Root Barrier

Root barriers are physical barriers that redirect tree root growth downward, thus eliminating surface rooting that can damage foundations, sidewalks, driveways, and other hardscapes

Settlement

Settlement occurs when a part of the foundation drops below the original as-built grade.

Slab

A concrete foundation supported entirely by the surface soil. Slab foundations are popular in most new residential construction in areas with high-clay soils, such as that found in north Texas and southern Oklahoma.

Soaker Hose

A gardening hose capped on one end and containing hundreds of tiny perforations. A soaker hose set next to a structure's foundation can help maintain a consistent moisture level within the soil and help prevent foundation movement and, consequently, foundation failure.

Soil

The collection of loose material, including air, water, and solid particles, comprising the Earth's crust. It's comprised of a mixture of mineral and organic materials in solid, gaseous and aqueous states. When discussing foundation construction, maintenance, and repair, we are most concerned with the moisture content of the soil.

Soil Stability

Soil material (clay, sand, etc.) and drainage play a big part in how much water the soil can contain and how often that soil is asked to contain that water. If the soil's moisture content changes often and/or a great deal, your foundation will move as the soil contracts and expands with moisture.

Soil Stabilization

This is the process by which a contractor improves the natural properties of soil to make it a better base for construction. Soil stabilization reduces or eliminates erosion, controls the movement of water through a given parcel of soil, and seeks to moderate the soil's moisture content.

Structural Engineer

An independent registered professional engineer that specializes in civil or structural engineering.

Subsidence

The sinking of all or part of a structure's foundation.

Sump Pump

A pump which removes water from a sump pit. (The sump pits simply a hole into which water is drained; the sump pit is commonly found in the basement.)

Upheaval

The lifting of all or part of a structure's foundation.

Void Filling

A low pressure injection of grout slurry that fills the space between a foundation and the soil beneath the foundation.

Waffle Slab Foundation

Waffle slab foundations are formed when beams are poured throughout the interior until the pattern resembles a waffle.>

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Foundation Repair Glossary, Part 4

Here's the last post in our four-part series, Foundation Repair Glossary. This post catches us up on terms that didn't make it into the prior three posts. Don't worry — we'll post the entire glossary from start to finish so you have the whole thing at your fingertips!

Bell Bottom Pier

A concrete pier that has a bell-shaped bearing surface.

Crawl Space

The space between the bottom of the structure and the ground. This is common or necessary with pier and beam foundations. A properly engineered crawlspace allows enough room to vent moisture and allow for work on plumbing, electrical, and other utilities under the building.

Deviation

Deviation is the amount by which the structure is not level. That is, the structure has deviated from its specifications and true level. Naturally, a home with a great deal of deviation requires more work (piers) to bring it back to level.

Differential Settlement

The difference in movement vertically between different parts of the foundation; Non-trivial differential settlement can cause foundation failure.

Drilled Piers

A pier formed by drill a hole at an angle to a predetermined depth, forming rebar within the hole, and then filling the hole with concrete (mixed with a curing agent). A drilled pier can be expected to fail if the conditions which caused the foundation to fail in the first place are not corrected.

Epoxy Injection

Epoxy injection is used for concrete in manner similar to how welding is used for steel. That is, epoxy is used to fill cracks in concrete; often times, though, the cracks remain as weak point in the foundation.

Galvanizing

Galvanized metal is made via an electromechanical process by which steel (or iron, or other metal) is coated with a non-rusting metal, such as zinc. The zinc simply isn't painted on the steel but rather is deposited and bonded to the steel via electrode position. The long and short of it all is that the steel is protected by the zinc and not subject to rust.

Helical Pier

A helical pier is a steel shaft to which circular steel plates have been welded at an angle (thing of a large screw). Helical piers offer more resistance and support than traditional steel piers, which do not have steel plates.

Initial Site Inspection

An initial site inspection determines the most likely cause of damage and if it's caused by the foundation. The initial site inspection requires the inspector to gather lots of information including but not limited to structural and architectural drawings, grading plans, and plat of survey.

Root Barrier

Root barriers are physical barriers that redirect tree root growth downward, thus eliminating surface rooting that can damage foundations, sidewalks, driveways, and other hardscapes

Pier and Beam

A foundation construction method where the structure is supported several feet off the ground by pillars and posts or pilings (a.k.a. the piers).

Pier Depth

The depth to which piers are sunk. Piers must reach a depth that provides adequate support. This means to bedrock or to a particular soil density. The deeper the piers must be sunk, the more expensive the foundation repair job will be.

Post-Tensioning Cable Foundations

A foundation construction technique where high-strength steel strands or cables, typically referred to as tendons, create a grid of steel cables that actively support the slab.

Pressed Pier

A pressed pier is made up of individual pilings that are pre-pressed and pre-formed. These pilings, in turn, are pressed into the ground using a hydraulic press. The individual pilings are locked to each other with steel shims or a piece of cable.

Rebar

Rebar, also known as reinforcing steel or reinforcement steel, is a common steel bar used to reinforced concrete.

Retaining Wall

A retaining wall supports eroding soil in areas where the ground is likely to shift. Retaining walls can also provide additional support to foundations built up with fill dirt.

Soaker Hose

A gardening hose capped on one end and containing hundreds of tiny perforations. A soaker hose set next to a structure's foundation can help maintain a consistent moisture level within the soil and help prevent foundation movement and, consequently, foundation failure.

Soil Stability

Soil material (clay, sand, etc.) and drainage play a big part in how much water the soil can contain and how often that soil is asked to contain that water. If the soil's moisture content changes often and/or a great deal, your foundation will move as the soil contracts and expands with moisture.

Structural Engineer

An independent registered professional engineer that specializes in civil or structural engineering.

Waffle Slab Foundation

Waffle slab foundations are formed when beams are poured throughout the interior until the pattern resembles a waffle.>

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.

Foundation Repair Glossary, Part 3

If you've missed our Foundation Repair Glossary Part 1 and Part 2, then be sure to catch up now.

Slab

A concrete foundation supported entirely by the surface soil. Slab foundations are popular in most new residential construction in areas with high-clay soils, such as that found in north Texas and southern Oklahoma.

Soil

The collection of loose material, including air, water, and solid particles, comprising the Earth's crust. It's comprised of a mixture of mineral and organic materials in solid, gaseous and aqueous states. When discussing foundation construction, maintenance, and repair, we are most concerned with the moisture content of the soil.

Soil Stabilization

This is the process by which a contractor improves the natural properties of soil to make it a better base for construction. Soil stabilization reduces or eliminates erosion, controls the movement of water through a given parcel of soil, and seeks to moderate the soil's moisture content.

Subsidence

The sinking of all or part of a structure's foundation.

Sump Pump

A pump which removes water from a sump pit. (The sump pits simply a hole into which water is drained; the sump pit is commonly found in the basement.)

Upheaval

The lifting of all or part of a structure's foundation.

Void Filling

A low pressure injection of grout slurry that fills the space between a foundation and the soil beneath the foundation.

Do you have questions about our Glossary of Foundation Repair Terms? If so, then ask us and we'll get you the answer. Be sure to visit our website to learn more about foundation construction, maintenance, and repair.

Foundation Repair Glossary, Part 2

This is the second part in our glossary of foundation repair terms. Be sure to check out Part 1.

Grade

The level of ground surface. The grade can also refer to the rise or fall of the ground over a given distance.

Jacking

A method by which a static driving force is performed on a pile by jacks.

Live Load

This is the additional weight added to a structure by people, furniture, snow, ice, water, etc.

Mudjacking

A foundation repair process used by some foundation repair businesses where water and soil cement or soil-lime-cement grout is pumped beneath the slab to lift the slab to the desired position. We recommend mudjacking only for flat concrete surfaces such as garage floors, driveways, pool and patio decks.

Pier

A support under a structure's foundation. Piers can be made of wood, steel, concrete and sunk into the ground or resting atop ground (for smaller structures).

Refusal

The condition reached when a pier can't be driven any farther, like when the pier reaches an impenetrable bottom such as rock). The term refusal may be used to indicate the specified minimum penetration per blow. Driving piers beyond refusal can damage the piers.

Settlement

Settlement occurs when a part of the foundation drops below the original as-built grade.

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Foundation Repair Glossary, Part 1

We'd thought we'd do something a little different over the next few posts and present a glossary of terms commonly used when discussing building foundation construction and repair. Let us know what you think!

Active Zone

This is the depth of soil instability or movement, usually caused by changes in moisture. Sometimes, the active zone is referred to as the Seasonal Zone.

Builder Piers

When the builder pours the grade beam for a pier and beam foundation, the builder piers are poured first. Builder piers are poured with a spacing of four to eight feet apart and to an average depth of three to four feet. These piers hold the grade beam in place. Sometimes builder piers fail, due to their low level of placement.

Clay

Composed primarily of fine-grained minerals, clay is a naturally occurring component of soil. Clay expands greatly when mixed with water but then significantly contracts when water is withdrawn. Soil expansion and contraction is one of the leading causes of foundation failure.

Drilled Pier

Drilled piers involve drilling a hole at an angle to a predetermined depth under the slab, then using rebar to build a form in, then filling in the hole with concrete. If the conditions that caused the foundation to fail in the first place aren't remedied, then it's highly likely that the drilled pier will fail in time.

Elevation

Elevation is the series of measurements used to determine the difference in height between a central point and other points.

Engineers Report

An engineering report is done after a foundation has been repaired or before a structure is purchased. The report determines whether or not the foundation can perform its intended function and whether or not any remedial foundation repairs are necessary. In Texas, the report is a level "B" investigation (as described by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and the American Society of Civil Engineers). The report will be sealed and signed by a Professional Engineer. The engineering report usually includes: Foundation Analysis, Interior Observations, Exterior Observations, Conclusions, Recommendations, and Photo File.

Footing

Footings, typically constructed of steel-reinforced concrete, is the bottom part of the foundation. The footing spreads the vertical loads from the building sitting on top of the foundation. With slab foundations, the footing is usually two feet and runs the entire perimeter of the slab.

Foundation

A home foundation is that part of the structure that is in direct contact with the ground. The foundation transmits the weight of the entire home and itself to the supporting soil.

French Drain

A drain that is used to collect water that migrates under ground. It is not used to collect large amounts of water from a heavy rain fall. French Drains are usually dug down 36-48 inches. Then 1 1/4” river rock is placed at the bottom of the trench and a 4” corrugated pipe is placed over this rock. Once in place, the trench is filled with river rock to approximately 4-6” below grade. The last 4-6” are then topped with soil and/or sod.

Grade Beam

The grade beam is the concrete support that goes around the perimeter of a Pier & Beam foundation. This is what home and bricks are supported by along the perimeters. The concrete grade beam is, on average, poured 18-20 inches below soil grade and is reinforced with rebar laid inside the concrete for additional support.

We'll keep these rolling over the next few posts. As always, if you have a question, feel free to ask us anything about foundation construction and repair!

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.