Is Your Foundation Failing?

Foundation movement may succeed from a wide range of factors, which can include:

o Shrinking or swelling of clays caused by changes in moisture article
o Compression of a soft layer in the ground as a succeed of the applied foundation loads
o Soil softening
o Frost heave
o Improper back filling
o discrepancy in groundwater levels
o Erosion
o Vibration from around construction
o Hydrostatic Pressure

DRYWALL SETTLEMENT

Inadequate create of basement walls and footings, before construction, traditionally account for 75 to 85 percent of all problems in residential structures built upon ample clay soils. These failures are commonly divided between two broad classes - lateral pressure and differential settlement. Both classes of failure commonly have few customary causative factors.

Lateral pressures on basement walls have four likely sources:
o Pressure from soil weight
o Pressure from soil swell
o Hydrostatic pressure
o Pressure from frost

Identifying lateral pressure damage is not difficult, but accurately quantifying the contributing sources is very difficult and should only be handled by a superior engineer. The inward bowing of a basement wall is the simplest indication of lateral pressure. The bowing commonly occurs when the external troops exceed the wall strength. The maximum bowing will often occur near the center of the wall because the adjoining perpendicular walls contribute maintain in the corners. If bowing becomes severe, these walls can collapse inward.

Cracking can also occur when lateral pressure exceeds the force of the concrete or block wall. The most tasteless crack pattern begins in the corners and move up or down at 45 degree angles in concrete walls. For block walls, the cracks move along the mortar joints in a stair step pattern. Often these cracks end at a long horizontal fracture that parallels the basement floor.

Lateral pressure can influence the uncut integrity of a house. Severe damage results in a descriptive opening between the top of the basement wall and the structure. Since water is one of the main causes of these cracks, water infiltration becomes critical in the largest of the cracks. Filling these cracks with epoxy, without solving the water problem, only moves the lateral pressure to other section of the wall.

The discrepancy of the covering ground level and the basement floor creates a mass of soil that must be retained thus causing a lateral pressure. The pressure of soil weight is typically considered during the create of an engineered wall using theoretical earth pressures.

Clay soils feel a change in volume when the moisture article of the soil changes. When ample clays are located against basement walls, the swelling of these soils can induce lateral pressures not accounted for in the customary design. Cyclic shrink/swell can also sell out the shear force of the backfill and thus growth the lateral pressures . The explication to this question can be as easy as replacing clay backfill with gravel or other non-swelling material. When used in conjunction with a footing drain, gravel will forestall increased lateral pressure.

Hydrostatic pressure is pressure exerted by a fluid due to its weight. Hydrostatic pressure against a basement wall develops when water fills voids or "ponds" within backfill immediately adjacent to the wall. This water buildup can cause dripping, seepage, dampness or efflorescence (salt residual). Leakage during heavy rains or poorly designed/maintained drainage growth hydrostatic pressure. Like soil swell, hydrostatic pressure is not typically considered during create and construction of basement walls.

Water that accumulates in backfill and then freezes may cause large lateral pressures on basement walls. Severe damage can succeed from frost causing lateral pressures much greater than even hydrostatic pressure. The ample natures of water crystals have been know to originate catastrophic structural damage.

Backfill, that is heavily clay laden, present long term lateral soil pressure problems. Their cohesive nature makes it almost impossible to re-compact them to a uniform moisture article and density. Clay backfills wish significantly stronger basement walls to withstand the larger horizontal pressures. The determined explication is to backfill with non-cohesive mixture with proper drainage.

Structural settlement is characterized as either total and /or differential settlement. Total settlement is a perfect buildings downward movement. Differential settlement is the discrepancy in vertical movement between various locations causing buildings distortion. Generally, total settlement is not a critical factor as long as it is uniform. Utility connections are affected to the greatest degree by total settlement. Even relatively small differential settlements can cause cracks in floor slabs, brick walls and drywall.

Settlement can be tolerated in most homes in case,granted it is within specified limits. Small amounts of settlements are staggering in most create work. When homes touch immoderate settlement extra procedures must be employed to stop or limit the estimate of settlement. These extra procedures commonly hire the use of resistance piers or helical anchors. To resolve the best procedure of operation for your home the hiring of a foundation engineer is recommended. Do you have a possible foundation failure?

Is Your Foundation Failing?

DRYWALL SETTLEMENT