Typical Foundation Repair (Underpinning)
For certain problems, especially those found in house and commercial building foundations, underpinning with helical anchors is typically used to stabilize the foundation.
Helical piling involves placing hydraulic cylinders in engineered locations to lift the settled foundation safely.
The lead section, with one or more helixes attached, generates the needed bearing capacity. The piers are screwed into the ground with a hydraulic torque motor. One or more steel piers are driven into a suitable soil-bearing layer and are connected to the foundation through a metal bracket assembly. It is designed to adequately distribute the load without creating unnecessary bulk or mass.
Hydraulic cylinders attached to the embedded steel piers and are used to raise the foundation back to an acceptable elevation. We will attempt to raise the foundation, however this is not always possible, but generally, elevation recovery is common. Once the structure is restored to a desired elevation the piles are cut and secured to wall brackets, locking in the new elevation of the structure.
Helical piles also offer an affordable solution for decks, porches, patios, as well as new construction buildings.
Advantages of Piles on Concrete Foundations
Low cost. Up to ten times less than replacing the building foundation.
No disruption or loss of use of the dwelling. The repair is performed with the building being used as normal.
The equipment is portable and can be easily used in tight spaces or carried by hand where access is a problem.
Remedies both the cause of the settlement (unstable soil) and the consequences (dwelling out of level) in one step.
Minimal soil disturbance.
