Settling Foundation Repair

EFT provides many solutions to repair a settling foundation.   Here are some of the technologies we work with:

• Helical Piers consist of steel pipes with circular “helices” that spin into the ground.  In essence, the pile needs to screw through the “bad” soil and into the load bearing soils below.   Helical piers typically do not work well with bedrock as they need to advance into a soil to attain load capacity.
• Push Piers consist of a steel pipe that is pushed down into the ground, using the building as a counterweight.  This “end bearing” system works best when load bearing soils consist either of Glacial Till (hardpan) or Bedrock.
• Drilled Micropiles are typically used when a lot of rocks/rubble are buried in the ground, as helical and push piers cannot advance through subsurface obstructions.  This system is generally the most expensive underpinning system and is used when no other underpinning options are viable.
• Ground Improvement, also referred to as Compaction Grouting, involves the injection of a structural grout into the ground to eliminate subsurface voids and densify soils with minimal excavations.   In the right conditions, this system is an economical alternative to using deep foundations.
• Pit Underpinning involves constructing a new foundation underneath an existing one.  This solution is best for foundations that bear on good soils but do not extend below the frost line.