Tag: steel piers

Solutions for a Settling Foundation

Foundation settlement can happen for a variety of reasons, and at any point in time. While foundation settlement is common, it’s important to know your options when looking for solutions for a settling foundation.

solutions for settling foundation

Solutions for Foundation Settlement

Steel Push Piers

Steel push piers are driven deep into the soil to lift and support weak foundations. Push piers are one of the most common foundation repair products used today because they provide permanent results, with little to no disturbance to the structure, or its surroundings. Push piers are used in circumstances where the foundation needs to be lifted.

Installing push piers is a fairly simple and quick process compared to other home improvement projects. For the most part, the installation is non-intrusive and is able to be completed within a day or two, depending on the size of the project. During installation you are still able to stay in your home. You likely won’t notice movement, or shaking during installation. 

Helical Piers

Helical piers, sometimes referred to as helical piles, are large foundation “screws” that are mechanically drilled into the soil. We use helical piers in projects that have unstable soil conditions because we are able to drive the piers far below any active soils. Once a stable, load-bearing strata has been reached, we connect a foundation pier bracket that transfers the weight of the structure onto the pier. 

Installing helical piers is a similar process to installing push piers. The main difference between the two products is that push piers are driven into the soil, while helical piers are drilled into the soil. Both processes have little to no disturbance to the structure or its surroundings. The installation process is monitored from start to finish. This ensures that the helical piers are drilled to the correct depth, and that capacity is verified.

If you’re looking for solutions for a settling foundation, contact us at 760-889-8150 for more information. Upon inspection, we will work with you to determine what the best process is for your foundation’s needs.

Steel Piers Stabilizes Laguna Beach Home With Natural Cave Below

Foundations On The Level used steel piers to help lift and stabalize a Laguna Beach ocean-front home with a natural sea cave beneath.

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.

Laguna Beach ocean-view home with natural sea cave beneath.
A natural cave beneath a Laguna Beach ocean-front property provided a challenge.

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