How to Repair Vertical Foundation Movement or Settlement Page 1 of 8

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Repair Methods for Foundation

Settlement or Vertical Foundation
Movement
• POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about foundation repair methods and procedures
where there has been settlement, heaving, or vertical foundation movement

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Repairs for vertical foundation movement, damage, cracking:

This foundation repair article discusses how to repair vertical foundation movement or foundation settlement using methods to stabilize or
even level and straightened a settling or moving foundation wall or floor slab, by using slab jacking, driven steel pins, helical or "screw
piers", friction piers or piles or even foundation reconstruction.

We also provide a MASTER INDEX to this topic, or you can try the page top or bottom SEARCH BOX as a quick way to find information
you need.

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How to Repair Vertical Foundation Movement or Settlement Page 2 of 8

Repair Methods for Vertical Foundation Movement - Foundations, slabs, fireplaces,

chimneys

In the photos shown here, substantive cracks appeared and continued to increase in size in this poured concrete foundation used to
support a modular home which had recently been completed.

The cracks and foundation movement were probably due to a combination of: poorly prepared foundation footings, blasting on an
adjacent building lot to prepare that site for new construction, and possibly omission of steel reinforcement in the poured wall.

As movement appeared to be ongoing over more than a year, the builder might have repaired the foundation by supporting it from below
using one of the methods listed here.

Foundation Repair Using Mud Jacking, Pressure Jacking, Slab jacking Methods

Grout pumping or mud jacking is used to stabilize soils below settling footings or slabs.

The mud jacking or grout pumping method of foundation repair is capable of lifting a slab and possibly some structures.

Mud jacking is suitable if bearing rock or stable soils are not too deep.

For cases where bedrock or suitable stable soils are deeper, slab-jacking methods are usually preferred - see the next foundation repair
item just below.

Slab jacking (sketch below) is used to stabilize or lift and level settling concrete slabs, including interior floor slabs poured within the
perimeter of a building foundation, and also lifting and leveling of monolithic concrete slabs or slab-on-grade construction.

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How to Repair Vertical Foundation Movement or Settlement Page 3 of 8

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If a floor slab or slab on grade construction is tipped, settling, or cracking, the underlying cause may vary among poor site preparation
such as pouring over un-compacted fill, poor surface water runoff control resulting in soil loss or compaction, expansive clay soils, soil
subsidence over buried debris, and sinkholes. [Sketch above provided courtesy of Magnum Piering, Florida.] Contact information for Magnum
Piering is at REFERENCES.

[Click to enlarge any image]

Sketch of mud jacking or pressure grouting to lift and repair a concrete floor slab

Carson Dunlop Associates' sketch above shows how slab jacking or mud jacking, also called pressure-grouting, might be used to repair a
settling garage floor slab.

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How to Repair Vertical Foundation Movement or Settlement Page 4 of 8

Foundation Repair Using Driven Steel Pins

Driven steel pins are used to stabilize settling foundation walls or footings. A pin is driven next to the foundation and is inserted into the
soil until it contacts bedrock. Variations in name and type for these steel foundation repair pins or piers include push piers, steel push
piers, helical piers, and push pins.

The driven pin foundation repair method, like the alternative piers listed below, is often used when a portion of a foundation wall is moving
or settling, perhaps because of improper site work or footing undermining.

The cost of this method is about $1200. to $1500. per pin for average 30 ft. depth.

The steel pin foundation repair method permits more precise leveling control across the building than grout pumping.

Some reviewers expressed a concern about a possible durability problem? The manufacturers typically warrant the product for 60 years.

[Sketch at left was provided courtesy of Dwyer, Magnum Piering, Florida, via ASHI Seminar 1998, edited by DF.]

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Contact information for Magnum Piering is included at REFERENCES.

Helical Pier or Screw-Pier foundation Repair for Settled Footings, Slabs, or Walls
A.B. Chance helical screw piers are an approach similar to the above, but may be shorter in length and useful where soil conditions do
not provide shallow bedrock or won't work well with friction piers (below).

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Helical piers to repair sinking foundations are often used in building repair or reconstruction, and include models which can be used to
level floor slabs as well.

Sketch above provided courtesy of Carson Dunlop Associates [Toronto]. Contact information for A.B. Chance is detailed at
REFERENCES.

Friction-Pie, Driven Pie, Push Pier Foundation Repair for Settled Footings, Slabs, or
Walls

• Friction piers or Magnum piers or foundation piles for foundation repair are driven piles which rely on soil friction against the
sides of the pile to prevent further settlement.

This method was used with modest success at a spectacular settlement case of the settlement of the Victoria, an enormous
masonry hotel on the harbor at Vancouver Island, Canada.

The Vancouver Victoria hotel was built over a marsh and set on friction piers.
• When we visited the site in the 1980's the hotel had settled fairly uniformly (luckily) so that the building has remained useable.

But today visitors enter the building on its second floor! The friction pier approach was not adequate in this case. Sketch courtesy
Carson Dunlop.

Rod & Steel U-Channel or I-Beam Foundation Repair for Settled Footings, Slabs, or
Walls

Rod & Channel Repair to Stabilize Structures over Poor Soils. Carson Dunlop Associates' sketch of steel rods and "U" channels
illustrates how an engineer may specify a repair to stabilize a building which has been constructed over un-stable soils.

Rod and u-channel structural repairs are more likely to be used where soil conditions prohibit the other pier or jacking methods illustrated
above.

Threaded steel rods are run through the width or length of the damaged structure and bolted to vertical steel U-channels on the building
exterior.

You may see a similar use of through-building threaded steel rods in 19th century masonry buildings in an attempt to stabilize structural
masonry walls.

Instead of "U" channels the rod ends are mounted through steel plates, often in a decorative shape.

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Foundation Repair of Settled Footings, Slabs, or Walls by Reconstruction

Reconstruction of foundations: Some engineers who examine a failing foundation may prescribe excavation and reconstruction,
possibly with reinforcement over the original design and with additional foundation and site drainage. And indeed in some cases these
extensive foundation repair steps are completely appropriate and necessary both to repair the building and to prevent a recurrence of the
trouble.

Watch out: We saw this method used for a home in Hyde Park, New York when it was discovered that the home had been built half over
a landfill and was suffering from substantial differential settlement.

Helical screw piers or even driven steel pins might have worked at about one tenth the cost of the project as it was designed. We don't
know if that alternative was considered.

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See FOUNDATION CONTRACTORS, ENGINEERS for advice on how to choose an expert to diagnose or repair a building foundation
problem.

Foundation Repair Pier Sources

• A.B. ChanceFoundation repair systems, helical piers, foundation repairs www.abchance.com. A.B. Chance helical screw piers are
an approach similar to the piers discussed in the article above, but may be shorter in length and useful where soil conditions do not
provide shallow bedrock or won't work well with friction piers.
• Dwyer of Florida, supplier of Helical Piles, foundation repair, and concrete restoration in Florida, exclusive dealer for Magnum
piering. This company provides helical piles, foundation settlement repair, concrete restoration, shotcrete, pressure grouting, and
slabjacking for residential and commercial buildings. 1-866-900-PIER www.dwyerflorida.com
• ECP Helical Piers & Piles, Earth Contact Products 15612 South Keeler Terrace Olathe, KS 66062, USA, Tel: 866-327-0007 or 800-
325-9375 , Website: www.earthcontactproducts.com Email (Sales): bwalter@earthcontactproducts.com Quoting from the
company's website and product literature:

ECP helical piers are ideal for applications where there is a need to resist a tension or compressive force or both. When combined with
an ECP helical bracket, these helical screw anchors are ideal for foundation repair applications.

ECP helical piers have been used in many utility and civil construction projects over the years, from guy wire applications to underpinning
and soil nail applications, upon installation helical piers load tested to prove their capacities. Earth Contact Products recommends that
only a registered engineer design and oversee the design and application of helical piers when used in foundation repair or new
construction projects.

Remember, not all helical piers are equal. On your next project make the ECP helical pier your foundation repair solution of choice. Many
times helical piers and helical anchors are the best solution for your foundation project due to one of the following factors:

• Ease of Installation
• Little to No Vibration
• Immediate Load Transfer upon Installation
• Installed Torque Correlates to Capacity
• Easily Load Tested to Verify Capacity
• Installs Below Active Soils
• All Weather Installation
• Little to No Disturbance to Jobsite

- retrieved 1/29/2014 original source: http://www.earthcontactproducts.com/HELICAL_PIER.asp

• Empire Piers, 211 Steel Street, Cottleville, Missouri 63376, USA, Tel: 1-636-922-4747, Email: info@empirepiers.com Website:
http://www.empirepiers.com/
• Heli-Pile, MR Inc. Headquarters 5135 Ward Road Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033 Phone: 303-423-0591 Fax: 303-423-9155 Email:
info@helipile.com www.helipile.com [see the company's "Practical Design & Inspection Guide for Helical Piles & High Tension
Anchors", John S. Pack, P.E. I.M.R., Inc., Denver, Colorado, U.S.A. (303) 423-0591 Fax: (303) 423-9155 jpack@helipile.com

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Fourth Edition, July 2009, © Copyright 2009 I.M.R., Inc. Revision 2, July 27, 2009 [PDF] retrieved 1/29/14 orignial source:
http://www.helipile.com/pdf/DesignGuide4Rev2.pdf
• PierTech Helical Piers, Website: http://www.piertech.com [interminably slow loading web page]
• Techno Metal Posts, Techno Pieux Inc., 1700 Rue Setlakwe, Thetford Mines QC G6G 8B2, Canada, Tel: 1 877 332-2139,
Email:info@technometalpost.com, Website: http://www.technometalpost.com Countries: Belgium, Canada, France, Spain,
Switzerland, USA Quoting from company product information online retrieved 1/29/14:

The techno Metal Post helical pile is a giant metal screw that is installed by a certified technician using proprietary hydraulic
machinery.

The pile is screwed into the ground until the desired bearing capacity is achieved. This foundation screw pile guarantees that your
building or structure is anchored on a solid base, whether it be for something as simple as a clothesline pole or as complex as a
multiple story home.

Techno Metal Posts can support up to 50,000 pounds per pile! Our in-house engineering team can determine which type of pier is
appropriate for your project.

The techno Metal Post helical pile is constructed with a hollow steel tube and a thick helix made of high quality steel. The exclusive
green polyethylene sleeve protects the pier from soil movement due to frost heaving.

Reader Comments & Q&A

On 2017-12-11 by Anonymous

I found cracks after i built first floor witout pillers

On 2017-02-08 by Anonymous

Bowed basement wall moving lower brakes

...

Continue reading at VERTICAL MOVEMENT IN FOUNDATIONS to diagnose and evaluate foundation settlement or vertical foundation
movement, or select a topic from closely-related articles below, or see our complete INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES below.

Or see these

Foundation Damage Articles

• BLOCK FOUNDATION & WALL DEFECTS - home

• BRICK FOUNDATIONS & WALLS - home
• CONCRETE FOUNDATION, WALL, SLAB DEFECTS - home
• FOUNDATION CRACK DICTIONARY
• FOUNDATION CRACKS & DAMAGE GUIDE - home
• FOUNDATION DAMAGE SEVERITY how much foundation movement is likely to be a concern?
• FOUNDATION FAILURES by MOVEMENT TYPE - home
• FOUNDATION FAILURES by TYPE & MATERIAL - home
• FOUNDATION MOVEMENT ACTIVE vs. STATIC which helps determine if the foundation movement is ongoing,
• FOUNDATION REPAIR METHODS - home
• STRUCTURAL INSPECTIONS & DEFECTS - home

Suggested citation for this web page

VERTICAL FOUNDATION MOVEMENT REPAIRS at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection,
testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to BUILDING STRUCTURES

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