Prevent Foundation Settlement with Piers and Caissons

After a house has been built, soil problems, weather conditions and moisture problems can cause the foundation to settle. Foundation settlement can result in wall cracks. Over time, foundation settlement can jeopardise the structural integrity of the building. If you reside in an area with excess seismic activity, foundation settlement can be very dangerous and might even result in the house collapsing during or after an earthquake.

To limit settlement, some foundations need to be banked up with piers and caissons.Piers are basically steel pipes shoved into the soil and are connected to the foundation. They can be installed even after a home is built with portable tools and without notable disruption to the inhabitants. The piers are usually connected with concrete beams.

Caissons are the second type of deep foundation used when soil conditions are very poor or the structure involved is heavy and large. Many hillside houses, high-rise complexes and apartment buildings require caissons to give additional support. Caissons are also used when constructing freeways and bridges, as well as holding walls designed to support falling hillsides. When a hillside retaining wall is constructed, the soil behind it will exert pressure on the wall. This will cause the wall to fall, either by sliding, overturning or collapse. Caissons are formed by drilling a huge, subterranean shaft. The shaft is then filled with strengthened concrete, along with steel or rebar. Some shafts are deep as 150 feet.

Thus, piers and caissons help to strengthen the foundation of any big structure.

Construction and Drilling - Important Concepts That Everyone Should Know

PIERS

A pier is a raised structure in the body of water, which is supported by the piles or pillars. Piers support bridges, buildings and walkways. There are different types of piers such as: working piers, pleasure piers, etc. All of them possess different purposes. It is a structure which is built on posts extending from land our over water and are used as a landing place for ships, entertainment area, etc. It supports the ends of adjacent spans.

CAISSONS

A caisson is a watertight retaining structure. It is a cylinder or hollow box that is sunk into the ground for a definite depth by auguring a deep hole into the strata. This is mostly used for constructing bridge piers and other foundations that are located beneath bodies of the water. Caisson is used to work on the foundations of a bridge pier, construction of a concrete dam and also for the repair of ships. These are constructed so that the water can be pumped out so as to keep the working environment dry. Caissons can be easily put in place, no matter where the structure is being constructed.

DEWATERING

Dewatering is the removal of ground water from the soil for favorable condition of any construction. It aims at lowering the ground water level and is used to remove or drain the groundwater from a construction site, caisson, or mine shafts, either by pumping or evaporation. It removes the unwanted water from the ground from any work area, thereby helping to make the drilling process easy.

Preventing foundation settlement with the help of Caissons

So, your home has been built but the weather conditions, soil issues and moisture are creating a problem for the foundation to settle. Don’t worry! It happens with everyone, but not with the smart ones. Now you might be wondering who those smart ones are? Well, those smart ones are those people who use caissons for the foundation. Caissons are used when soil conditions are extremely poor. It is also used in the case when the structure is huge and large. Many hillside homes, building and high-rise complexes have been using caissons to provide additional support. Moreover, caissons are also used in constructing bridges and freeways as well as reclining walls of the hillsides. Whenever a hillside retaining wall is built, the soil behind the wall tries to exert pressure on the wall. Because of the pressure, the wall can fall, either by sliding or by collapsing. Caissons are built by drilling a large cavernous shaft.  After that the shaft is filled with reinforced with concrete made of soil and sand. The concrete is used along with steel and rebar as well.  The shafts are usually are drilled from 2’ to 12’ in diameter through the soil and into the bedrock. There are some shafts which are as deep as 150 feet. So, just in case if you have foundation settlement problems, you can choose caissons. However, these days there are a lot of people who get their house inspected by a seasoned foundation contractor to decide the type of foundation.

Soldier Pile Walls, Soil Nails and Dewatering: Why Are They Needed?

Contractors and engineers are rarely surprised when project plans start off with the need to retain a drilling company to perform highly specialized work. Homeowners and clients who are paying the bills, however, may find it unusual that their above-ground structures call for work below the earth’s surface before other phases can progress. There are some very good reasons for why a contractor may request the creation of a soldier pile wall, a structure requiring soil nails or even a process that involves dewatering. 

Drilling companies are generally called out to job sites before foundations are laid. In residential and commercial scenarios, their job typically calls for stabilizing the ground prior to other construction. In cases where excavations are required, soldier pile walls or soil nails might be used. These structures are designed to hold the earth in place. In doing so, these structures provide stability and safety for the project and its ultimate design. Dewatering might also be called for to ensure safe, more stabilized conditions if drilling takes place below or near the water table.

When soil nails or soldier pile walls are deemed necessary for stabilization, drilling companies are the experts called upon for good reasons. Firms that specialize in this type of construction have the expertise necessary to work in a variety of geological conditions. They understand what it takes to ensure safety and durability in the finished product. In addition, they know which techniques are most required to stop or prevent erosion or landslides, what might be required to ensure a large above-ground structure stands tall and more.

When drilling companies are called upon by contractors to stabilize job sites, perform dewatering and create soldier pile walls, their below-ground work essentially ensures success for everything else that is yet to come.

Why is My Contractor Saying Caissons Are Required?

When a company makes a decision to build a bridge, tower or especially large, heavy or tall building, most general contractors will say work needs to begin well below the ground. While business owners may instinctively know the requirement will be necessary if sub-ground levels are included in the design, excavation work may also be required in a number of other circumstances. When a contractor says caissons are a must, for example, the recommendation is simply being made to ensure proper foundational support for the above-ground structure.

Caissons are supports that are built by digging a hole into the ground with an auger. This hole is reinforced with steel and then filled in with concrete. The idea is to create a stronger foundation than straight building on top of the ground can provide. Like retaining walls that shore up the earth while a basement is being built, caissons are necessary to ensure safety. They are also, however, considered a must in many cases to ensure structure integrity for years down the road by preventing issues with compression or uplift as the true intended structure goes into place. Depending on the depth of the excavation required, dewatering work may also be required to ensure caissons are properly put into place.

Finding out a construction project that involves a large above ground feature must begin with an excavation below the earth can be a little disconcerting. This recommendation, however, is made to ensure the final design is strong, solid and meant to withstand the test of time. When contractors recommend caissons, retaining walls or dewatering, they are doing so to protect people and the required structure alike. 

Soil Nails: Why They Matter To Your Project

Whether the plan is to dig into the earth for a mining operation, build a road or shore up existing construction threatened by soil erosion, a drilling company may be called into to provide dewatering services and the placement of soil nails. This common construction technique is required to ensure ground stability in excavations.

Soil nails are part of a retention technique that is meant to hold the earth in place to provide security and stability for excavations. The idea is the create a wall of sorts to hold the earth in place so other work can continue safely.

Soil nail construction involves the creation of a top down wall. This wall involves the placement of nearly perfect horizontal holes into the earth. Inside the holes, steel bars are generally placed and then grouted to hold. This “nails” will then be reinforced with shotcrete or another reinforcing material to essentially create a wall that holds the earth in place. Dewatering is generally required to go along with this since soil nail wall construction must often extend below the water table to provide necessary support. Drilling companies provide this service, as well, pumping water out of the way so reinforcement work can go off without a hitch.

Soil nails are used to provide earth retention in a number of different scenarios. This type of wall, for example, is often built on the sides of highway overpasses. The technique may also be used to stop soil erosion that threatens existing properties. In addition, it’s commonly used in mining operations and other excavations where worker safety hinges on holding the earth around the excavated hole in place.

When there is a need to keep the earth in place, drilling companies have a number of techniques at their disposal. Soil nails may be the best option in many cases because of the relative ease and relative low expense associated with this method of earth retention. 

Why Dewatering May Be Needed For Drilled Shaft Placement

When construction plans call for creating a tall, especially large or heavy structure above the earth, work on the project will generally begin far below the ground level. Helping ensure future structural safety and stability often calls for placing a drilled shaft foundational support system in place.

A drilled shaft, also called a drilled pier or caisson, is a tall, cylindrical shaft that’s made from steel. Drilling companies bore holes into the earth, drop the shaft and then fill it in with concrete to provide stability to the foundation that will generally be built on top. Several of these structures may be required to provide support for the entire foundation. Once the drilled shafts are in place, work on the foundation begins.

Since a drilled shaft may call for digging more than 100 feet into the ground, dewatering may be required. This process is used in conjunction with many excavation projects when the water table is accessed during the drilling process. Dewatering involves pumping water out of the excavation point so the drilled shaft can be placed and the concrete set before the foundation is laid in place.

Providing structural support for a large building often calls for a construction process that begins below the earth. In many cases, a drilled shaft system may be required to ensure stability for what will be eventually be built. When there’s a need to provide stability for a large project, a drilling company with expertise in drilled shaft construction and dewatering can get the job done right.