We received a call from a customer who had a unique challenge: An old foundation wall, suspected to be the remains of a boathouse foundation, was on the brink of collapse, posing a threat to the stability of the hill it supported. They reached out to us, eager to find a solution.

The customer’s expectations were clear – they wanted the wall stabilized and straightened. However, the challenge was not to be underestimated. The foundation wall was a formidable 2 feet thick, constructed with large rocks embedded in the concrete. To add to the complexity, the slope of the hill made it unlikely that a mini excavator could be brought down for assistance. Hand digging in the sandy terrain became our primary approach.

Undeterred, our team devised a plan to push the wall back significantly. The strategy involved straightening the walls using C-Channels as horizontal WALERS across the structure. The possibility of utilizing heat blankets was considered, and the customer even had a 30-amp camper hookup outlet outside, ready for any additional power requirements.

We installed six geolocks, strategically placing three geos on each side of a staircase. To reinforce the stability, we implemented two whalers on each set of three geos, totaling four whalers. The immediate attempt at wall straightening involved the homeowner actively participating in digging out the wall. While achieving perfect straightness proved challenging, everything was tightened to the best possible extent without compromising the integrity of the wall or our product.

In the end, the collaborative efforts between our team and the homeowner resulted in a successful preservation of the foundation wall, now stabilized and straightened.