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An Actual Case Study of A Foundation Failure. Cause, Effect, Solution

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with CREST "BACKYARD' HOMES, ON THE LEVEL General & Manufactured Home Contractor, TAG Real Estate Sales & Investments 521400, 1501015, 01795582

An Actual Case Study of

A Foundation Failure.

Cause, Effect, Solution

 

For those homeowners, buyers, sellers, Real Estate Professionals and stakeholders who have had to deal with foundations issues in the past or present or who live in a geologic area prone to inherent and volatile soil conditions we will be offering several case studies in various geographical areas in order to give you a broader overview of what to look for and how to deal with and resolve foundation, soils and drainage issues.

 

 

CASE STUDY: Concrete Pier Failure

Location: Ada, OK
Installer: Ram Jack of Oklahoma & Arkansas

Having a “newly constructed home” does not necessarily mean it will be free from foundation issues. A beautiful new home perched on a hillside on the outskirts of a small urban area in southern Oklahoma was purchased by a young family ready to grow. What they didn’t know was that this new purchase would have significant issues within the year.

Situation: During the building phases, the hillside which afforded beautiful views from the back patio had to be leveled using a process called “cut and fill.” Drilled concrete piers were placed around the perimeter; however, with no soils information or monitoring tools, the preventative measures taken were improperly prepared and poorly executed.

Only a few months after moving into the home cracks began appearing in the sheetrock and brick exterior. Doors no longer worked, causing issues for emergency exits and daylight could be seen through the walls. Over the course of the next two years the settling would become severe enough to compromise the structure causing the home to become unlivable. Displaced from their home and fighting a legal battle, the owners turned to Ram Jack for support. 

Proposed Solution: After close monitoring, Ram Jack of Oklahoma & Arkansas identified the entire home to have experienced structural damage due to foundation settlement—over 11” in some areas.

The entire perimeter of the home needed to be stabilized by driven steel piling, and the interior slab needed helical slab stabilization. Before installation could occur, all existing concrete piers had to be disconnected from the structure, then 60 interior helical piles and 39 exterior driven steel piles could be installed to a proper load-bearing strata to support the home for the lifetime of the structure.

Outcome: The Ram Jack foundation system went more than 30’ deep, a stark contrast to the 10’ depth reached in the preventative concrete pilings. By the end of the project, 10” of lift and more than a 90% recovery was achieved, allowing the family to return to their home and have peace of mind that the problems wouldn’t return.



Download the full case study in PDF format 

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Why To Choose Us?

John DL Arendsen, Broker, General & Manufactured Home Contractor and Dealer 

TAG Real Estate Sales & Investments

TAG (The Arendsen Group) Real Estate Sales & Investments is a full service, one-stop, turnkey, family owned and operated real estate brokerage, General Contractor, Manufactured Home Contractor, Developer, Investor, Property Manager, Interior Design, Engineering, architectural, Landscape design, Expert Witness, Consulting, Curative Title and Troubleshooting company with over 100 years of combined experience in the San Diego real estate sales, construction, design & development arena.

 

 

 

 

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