Steel Piers Stabilizes Laguna Beach Home With Natural Cave Below

As with many Southern California beach communities, Laguna Beach’s premier ocean-view home sites sit atop craggy buffs. They are often located high above the sandy beaches and picturesque blue waves that rush to the shore.

We were asked by a Laguna Beach homeowner to evaluate the geology of his home in preparation for foundation repairs.

Large cave presented a challenge

What showed potential concern was the stability of the home’s site. The home is located on a bluff above the beach and includes a natural cave beneath the property.

The sea cave itself is about 50 feet wide and 30 feet deep. It has an arc-shaped roof, and at higher tides, the ocean flows over the floor of the cave.

We recommended that the homeowner install resistance steel piers to lift and stabilize the foundations of the home in 18 locations.

Foundations On The Level installed pier system

Foundations On The Level installed the pier system to stabilize the floors, which was about -3 inches out of level.

After the building was lifted, the void space under the building was filled with structural foam. The foam is no heavier than 4-pounds-per-cubic-foot. It restored the support to the soil and assisted in preventing settlement of the building on the weak soils.

Once the lifting and stabilization were completed, Helfrich-Associates determined that the building is structurally sound based on published criteria for evaluating building floor and foundation tilt.

Steve Helfrich, PE
Helfrich-Associates