Pier Installation Near Me is a project best left to professionals. It is a time-consuming process that requires excavation and the removal of any outdoor structures.
First, a hole is dug to the appropriate depth for the foundation repair. Then, a steel-reinforced concrete cap is placed on top. A straight shaft extends down from the bell shape and into the ground.
The foundation of your building plays a major role in its structural integrity. It’s important to understand the pros and cons of different types of foundations, including pier and beam, so you can make an informed decision about which type is best for your home. In this article, we’ll take a look at the steps involved in preparing the site and installing a pier and beam foundation.
Site preparation is a critical step in any construction project, and it’s even more crucial when working with a pier and beam foundation. It involves grading and clearing the land so that it can support the foundation and any structures to be built on top of it. This may involve demolishing existing buildings and trees, or it could simply require earthworks and filling to level out uneven areas of the site.
It’s also important to check the area for underground utilities, such as water pipes and electrical lines, to avoid accidental damage during excavation. Once the location of these utilities has been marked, the site can be excavated. A shovel or excavator can be used to dig holes for the piers, which should be spaced evenly and measured according to your building plans. Once the holes have been dug, the soil should be compacted using a mechanical tamper to ensure a strong and stable base for the piers.
Before installing the piers, it’s important to consult with your builder and contractor to make sure everyone is on the same page regarding specifications and deadlines. This will help prevent any miscommunication that could slow down the preparation process or cause a delay in the completion of your building.
Once the piers have been installed, they will be used to support the footings, which are typically made of concrete. The footings should be centered on each pier and spaced evenly to ensure that the load is distributed properly across the entire foundation. Then, the support beams can be attached to the footings using brackets or anchors. This will ensure that the foundation is stable and secure, as well as provide a rigid structure for your home or building.
Digging the Holes
The first thing that needs to be done before pier installation is to dig holes for the piers. The holes need to be deep enough to reach the load bearing soil below. It’s important to dig them correctly because if the holes aren’t deep enough or not in the right spot, the piers will not be able to do their job and will not provide stabilization.
For helical piers, painter’s tape will be used to temporarily mark the locations of each pier location around your home. Once the marks are made, a hole measuring three feet by three feet will be dug at each location. These holes will be filled with concrete and then a steel pier base is inserted. A pier cap is then placed on top of the pier base and is tightened down with the bolts provided. It’s important not to over tighten the pier caps because this could damage them and make them less effective. Before you tighten the pier cap, place a small amount of anti-seize compound or normal grease on the bolt threads to make them easier to remove in the future.
Push piers are another foundation stabilization method that can be used to lift the wall of your home up to its original position. To install this system, soil is removed from around the foundation footing at each pier location. A heavy-duty steel bracket is then installed below the footing, and rugged pier sections are hydraulically driven into the ground until they reach bedrock or stable soil. The piers then transfer the weight of your home to this load-bearing soil.
The piers are then backfilled with soil to the original grade level. Before the soil is backfilled, the installer will add a layer of sand and then compact it to make sure the piers are properly supported. The installer will also use steel reinforcing in the poured concrete to increase its strength and durability. Finally, the anchor bolts are installed in the piers before they are concreted to ensure that they will be secure and able to support your home’s weight.
Pouring the Concrete
A home pier system can be expensive. So it’s important to do the work right, and not take shortcuts. If you’re doing this yourself, make sure to triple-check the location and height of the piers before you start pouring concrete. Also make sure the forms are secured well, and don’t move as you shovel concrete into them. You don’t have a lot of wiggle room once concrete hardens.
You can also build a pier yourself with concrete block, but that requires more work and isn’t as strong as a monolithic (one-piece) poured pier. When you do use concrete block, make sure it is a high-quality mix and that the blocks are laid with care.
I used a hollow cardboard Sonotube(r) form for this project, but a monolithic poured pier is also possible. I recommend choosing a pier that has a wider bottom than the top — this shape prevents frost heave from lifting the pier from the ground.
When the concrete truck arrives, have a team of 4-5 helpers ready to shuffle around and get the job done. One person scoops the concrete into the tube, while another uses rebar to stamp the concrete down and eliminate air pockets. Once the concrete is poured up to about the halfway point of the tube, one more worker uses rebar to “tamp” down the remaining concrete and make it as solid as possible.
Once the concrete is cured, it’s time to install the post anchors and a metal support bracket on each pier. I used galvanized post anchors because I didn’t want to have to deal with rust issues in the future. When I pushed the post anchors down, I made sure they were aligned with the string lines that had been stretched across each hole.
Remember, though, that whatever caused the foundation movement to begin with will likely continue to cause problems even after the piers are installed. For this reason, it’s important to address the root causes of the problem by installing a drainage system to keep water away from your home and grading the soil so that it slopes away from your house.
Installing the Support Beams
The installation of support beams plays an important role in the stability and load-bearing capacity of a pier foundation. Proper installation and inspection of these components will help to ensure a safe and reliable foundation for your structure.
Before beginning the pier installation process, consult your building plans for a detailed outline of the required pier locations and dimensions. Referring to these plans will allow you to dig accurate and consistent holes, which is critical to the overall success of your pier foundation.
Once you’ve determined the proper location of each pier, mark each spot with stakes or string/chalk lines to maintain accuracy throughout the digging process. Using these references will also help you to keep track of the distance between each hole, ensuring that it matches the desired spacing outlined in your building plans.
Depending on your project and soil conditions, you will need to choose from two types of foundation footings. One of the most popular choices is a tube footing. These are long cylinders of cast or poured concrete that have the same diameter from top to bottom. This type of footing requires the least excavation and works best in dense soils with a high clay content. Another option is a drilled shaft footing, which is more expensive and requires extensive excavation to ensure that the base of the pier is at or above the local frost depth.
Use a shovel or excavator to dig the hole for your pier foundation, taking care not to damage any underground utility lines. When the hole is deep enough, remove any loose dirt and debris. Once you’ve finished digging, it’s time to begin the concrete construction process.
Pouring the concrete is a fairly straightforward process. Pour the concrete into the hole, making sure to smooth it out evenly. When the concrete is nearly set, carefully push the L-bolts into place and wiggle the pier template to get rid of any air bubbles.
Once the concrete is firmly in place, use a level tool to check that the pier is perfectly aligned and stable. If it’s not, add more gravel or sand and compact again until the pier is correctly positioned.
