Cracks. Cracks in foundations are very common. Mostly they are nonstructural and cosmetic in nature. However, foundation cracks that are greater than 1/4-inch wide are considered to be structural cracks worthy of repair. These cracks may be indicating significant foundation settlement or the presence of expansive soils. Foundation cracks that are wider at the bottom than the top indicate soil settling. Cracks that are wider at the top than at the bottom indicate expansive soils. Foundation cracks can also lead to wet crawl spaces or water intrusion into basements and pest infestations. There are various solutions for the different types of foundation cracks and problems. If repairable, foundation cracks are repaired with an epoxy crack injection which "glues" the concrete. Then, a "Simpson HST foundation plate" is bolted across the crack. This epoxy system provides structural strength which greatly exceeds the strength of the concrete itself.
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Piers, Posts and Girders. Piers, posts and girders are the structural elements beneath the floor that bear the weight of the interior loads. The concrete piers which support the posts may be crumbling or not placed deep enough into the soil. In this case, the concrete piers should be replaced. Posts are often found to be undersized or out-of-plumb. Also, the girders which are the beams supporting the floor joists, can be found to be split or warped.
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Underpinning. Underpinning is a method of construction that extends the foundation's footing to depths that provide greater bearing capacity. The soil beneath the existing footing is excavated and replaced with concrete. Underpinning requires the special attention to design, methodology and safety procedures. Sinai Construction provides engineering services, special inspections, trained supervision and safety coordination.
Foundations which are damaged or are not built according to current building codes are simply repaired by replacing failing members or performing a seismic retrofit. Each foundation presents a unique set of conditions and should be properly evaluated to address the unique conditions for each project.
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