Foundation Repair in Densely Developed Areas

Foundation Repair in Densely Developed AreasFoundation repairs are especially challenging in densely developed areas. Bringing heavy equipment in for demolition or excavation purposes can disrupt traffic, damage landscape details and negatively impact adjacent homes or businesses. In commercial zones, businesses situated next to construction sites worry about losing customers and revenue from regular, unimpeded traffic. In dense residential areas, homeowners are likely to be concerned that nearby demolition and excavation might alter drainage patterns and soil stability on their property.

Demolition and excavation can cause issues especially when clearances between buildings tight like in commercial zones and urban areas. Unfortunately, such issues often mean that repairs are put off or ignored instead of being addresses. In other cases, the repair work is done using improvised, stop-gap techniques that don’t permanently fix the foundation problem.  

Non-Destructive Foundation Repairs

Fortunately, many foundation repairs can be completed without demolishing and replacing the damaged foundation. Foundation repair specialists are especially well equipped to do this kind of work in densely developed areas. These contractors have the training, tools and repair materials to make permanent repairs to damaged foundations while minimizing impact on the jobsite.

As an alternative to demolishing and replacing a foundation that has cracked and settled, foundation repair specialists can drive steel piers beneath damaged sections, connect the piers to the foundation with specially designed brackets, and then raise settled foundation sections to close cracks and restore stability. Piering techniques bypass unstable or poor soil immediately beneath the foundation and reach down to bedrock or solid, load-bearing soil at greater depth. By eliminating the need for large excavating equipment and dump trucks to haul away part or all of the foundation, foundation repair specialists avoid major disruptions and site damage.

Similar non-destructive repairs are possible when a foundation wall cracks and bows or tilts inward in response to soil pressure from outside the foundation. Thanks to the engineered solutions available to foundation repair specialists, the wall doesn’t need to be replaced. Instead, steel wall anchors can be installed to stabilize the damaged wall and even force it back towards its original position. Alternatively, it’s sometimes possible to stabilize a cracked or bowing foundation wall by installing adjustable steel brackets against the interior wall surface and tightening them gradually. The soil conditions that caused the wall damage should also be addressed to lessen inward pressure.

Soil stabilization techniques protect adjacent properties

Foundation repair specialists can also use special techniques to protect adjacent properties when a new foundation is being excavated and constructed. If an excavation is being made right next to an existing building, measures must be taken to prevent the adjacent foundation from collapsing or caving into the excavation.

To stabilize an excavated area while a new basement foundation is formed and poured, foundation repair contractors can drive soil nails into the side of the excavation, install a screen of steel mesh, and then create a temporary retaining wall by applying shotcrete –concrete that has been thinned and modified so that it can be sprayed through a heavy-duty hose. Shotcrete has many uses, but this one is especially valuable when a new excavation must be made between two existing buildings.

Lipe Brothers Construction is your trusted foundation repair company in Duluth! Contact them today for your free estimate!