Slab piers are intended to stabilize a concrete slab that has plunged into the poor underlying soil. Unlike standard piering systems, slab piers are not aimed to stabilize a foundation wall but the footing and vertical walls connected to it that sustain the home despite their similar design. A slab pier system, when installed correctly, can indefinitely stabilize a bulging concrete slab and quite often raise it back to its original position.
Like a standard pier, a slab pier works by being pushed deep into the earth to find load-bearing soil or sub-base. These piers are made of heavy-gauge steel and are intended to help and support the slab’s weight and everything on it.
Slab Pier Systems: How do They Work?
Slab piers are classified into two types: push-type slab piers and helical slab piers. Both foundation repair products can be efficacious, and which one you choose depends on your specific circumstances and the contractor’s preferences who will install them. Because both types of slab piers require small installation equipment, they can be installed in tight spaces such as bathrooms or laundry rooms.
The installation process for hydraulically driven slab piers and helical slab piers is very similar. The first step in both foundation repair cases is to unveil the soil at each pier by making holes in the concrete slab.
When installing hydraulically driven slab piers, a slab bracket is aligned in the hole so that the bracket’s fittings stretch to endorse the slab’s underside. Steel pier parts are hydraulically driven through the bracket once in place until the pier contacts competent soils.
The pier shaft is tilted when helical slab piers are installed while a downward force is exerted. When competent soil is reached, the helical blades on the pier’s shaft advance the pier into the soil while also providing anchoring strength. Once the pier has reached the proper depth, a slab bracket is installed around it and or underneath the concrete slab.
Types of Slab Piers:
Slab piers are classified into two types: push-type slab piers and helical slab piers. Both piers drill deep into the soil and use the same equipment to lift slabs back into the position that can connect small house areas.
PUSH-TYPE SLAB PIERS
Hydraulics are used to drive push piers deep into the soil. They are secured to the concrete slab with a bracket and go through it to reach load-bearing soils.
HELICAL SLAB PIERS
Helical piers have helical blades attached to the pier that resembles a large screw. These piers are drilled into the soil with helical blades until they reach load-bearing soil.
Once both piers have been installed, the concrete slab is transmitted onto the piers and lifted back up to its initial location. Finally, the foundation repair team will inject a small amount of Poly Renewal into the soil to stabilize it and avoid future settlement.
Know What It Looks Like After Helical Piers Are Installed.
Repairing a Cracked Concrete Foundation with Slab Piers
A settling concrete slab can lead to serious structural issues in a home. Individuals may notice signs of slab settlement such as trip hazards, cracks in drywall, and doors that do not open and close properly.
Slab settlement issues are usually caused by shifting soil conditions beneath the slab. One of the most likely reasons is soil drying and shrinking caused by HVAC systems and soil consolidation caused by poorly compressed fill soils during construction.
Regardless of the cause, a sinking slab can cause severe damage and must be fixed immediately. Some homeowners believe that eliminating and substituting the slab is the solution to the problem, although it is costly, messy, and disruptive to their home. Since the core issue is soil compaction rather than the slab itself, the same issue is expected to recur.
Slab Piers are only suitable for concrete slab foundations
Slab piers are a foundation repair solution that only requires a concrete slab. However, unlike other foundation repair solutions, they cannot be used with different foundation types.
It’s also worth noting that they aren’t the only pier-type solution for concrete slab foundations. To find the best solution for your foundation problems, you should seek the advice of a foundation repair professional.
Slab piers, however, are usually the best, most permanent, and most efficient long-term solutions for concrete slab foundations.
The Benefits of Using Slab Piers to Repair Concrete Slab Settlement
It’s simple to see why slab piers are a far better foundation repair system than other slab settlement solutions recommended by HydroHelp911. But first, let’s take a better look at their innate advantages and disadvantages.
DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF SLAB SINKING/SETTLEMENT
This is the primary benefit of slab piers. Soil changes are a natural occurrence that is nearly impossible to predict and avoid. Even if you take appropriate precautions to avoid disturbing the soil beneath your home, you have no control over the mitigating factors that add to the problem.
The best a homeowner can do is focus on the problem rather than the symptom, such as a dysfunctional slab foundation level. That is what slab piers assist you with. Slab piers allow you to target and fix the root of the problem by disbursing the weight of the home on relatively more stable soil or attaching to the bedrock for even stiffer support.
In contrast to other foundation repair solutions that only work till the soil shifts again, slab piers help solve the sinking foundation issue (and other issues that occur as a result of it) by busting the self-perpetuating cycle. Several factors cause the foundation to subside and settle when the soil shifts or weakens. The weight of the house is another important consideration.
DEEP-SEATED ALTERNATIVE
Slab piers can be injected up to 100 feet below ground (though this is rarely necessary, mainly if the bedrock is close to the surface). This enables it to solve today’s problems and those that will arise in the future. For example, assume your house sinks because the soil three feet beneath it has shifted. You could be able to salvage the circumstance with a different solution. However, if the earth beneath 30 feet has shifted, slab piers are one of a few viable options.
This is also useful for getting around soils that don’t work well with concrete foundations, such as clay. You can bypass it all until you find something strong enough to bear the weight, regardless of the soil mixture and soil type layering levels that are causing your concrete slabs to sink.
REPAIR VS. RESTORATION
Several slab settlement repairs are essentially repairs because they correct the issue and keep it from expanding further. However, they rarely address the tangential damage caused by the root problem. Even if they can restore the level of one sinking portion of the house (by pumping the slabs back to their original level), they cannot lift the foundation as a whole.
That is something slab piers can easily accomplish. Once installed, slab piers can function as a hydraulic jack, potentially raising the entire foundation to its original level. This helps by naturally repairing the sinking and cracks in the foundation and repairing problems such as doors and windows that won’t close appropriately or growing mold.
Slab piers provide proper foundation restoration, which prevents a slew of other issues, such as water collecting near the foundation’s base.
REPAIRING HAZARDOUS SITUATIONS AND CRACKS
Cracks in the foundation and walls aren’t just structural issues; they can also be a gateway to other problems, particularly those involving water. The cracks can unintentionally act as drainage sources for spilled water, exacerbating the situation by adding water to the capsizing equation.
Many structural issues can contribute to plumbing, HVAC, and electrical problems. For example, floor cracks can become tripping hazards and accident causes if they are large enough.
What are the benefits of HydroHelp911 slab piers?
- Your foundation issues will be solved permanently.
Our slab piers are galvanized steel slab piers installed in stable soil. We are providing a solution that will withstand the test of time.
- Restore the value of your home.
The Slab Piers can lift and level your slab foundation, removing tripping hazards and increasing the value of your home.
- Installation is low-stress.
This underpinning solution is simple and low-stress to install. The piers will not be visible after installation, and there will be no large machinery to damage your landscaping or property.
Why should you use slab piers for settlement repair?
Slab piers are intended to be driven deep into the earth, avoiding soils unsuitable for weight support so that an entire and competent world supports your floor. Slab piers also allow you to lift your concrete slab back to its original position, which often closes cracks and eliminates tripping hazards.
Please call our office phone for additional questions and assistance, HydroHelp911: 704-741-9737.
