In general, there are three common types of foundation repair. They are concrete piling, steel press piling and bell bottom piers. The method of repair used on the foundation is dependent on the condition of the soil, the age of the house, the style of the house and the overall goal of the foundation repair.
The cleanest and fastest method of repairing foundation is concrete piling. With the use of hydraulics, the pilings are driven into place and matted with a concrete and solid steel core. This method of repair is very cost effective and requires very little equipment or time to install. It is most commonly used for homes or light commercial buildings.
In areas where the soil has clay in it, causing it to be denser, steel press pilings is the prime choice of foundational repair techniques. This method is suitable for denser clay due to the small diameter of less than three inches. The actual pilings themselves are very durable and considered the longest lasting method of repair. They can be drilled into up to sixty feet deep of solid rock. The only drawback to this method is that is can take up to three days for completion.
Bell bottom piers are considered to be the most lasting resolution for foundation repair. The bell bottom piers not only offer a large area of support but are completely resistant to soil movement. They also anchor against uplift. It is a very permanent solution, especially for concrete slab foundations. It is also the only method used to create the substantially large support columns used on highway overpasses.
There are other types of foundation repair available as well, such as concrete piers, mud jacking and soil injection. Concrete piering is the process of pouring cement into drilled underground holes that then form concrete columns and are designed to support virtually any load. Mud jacking actually lifts up a driveway or building through the process of pumping a low-grade concrete underneath the object to be lifted.
Soil injection is used in the case where upward movement of soil is affecting an area beneath the foundation. The distressed area must be less than ten feet toward the interior of the structure with an uplift of 1 ½ inches or less. The objective of soil injection is to stop the ability of the upheaval to spread. Soil injection does not remove existing upheaval. It inserts non-toxic, water soluble chemicals into the ground under the structure that then stops the soil from absorbing any water, preventing the soil from swelling up under the home. It can help homeowner’s steer clear of a more serious and expensive foundation repair in the future.
Talk to your skilled foundational repair technician to determine which type of foundation repair method is right for your home.