There is a lot of mis-information being thrown at the homeowner these days. The best clarification is an examination of the repair method used by the contractor. There are distinct advantages and disadvantages of the most common methods of foundation repair used today. Celebrity endorsements are worthless because they are being paid to advertise a service they know nothing about. The experts in foundation repair are independent structural engineers – they are the ones with the specific knowledge and an engineering degree.

Bell Bottom Pier Method

The Bell Bottom Pier method of foundation repair is PERMANENT, Time-Tested, and Proven. It is simply the best. It is a poured, single unit of concrete with steel rebar and a large “foot” or bell bottom for support. It is stronger, is able to support more weight, and able to resist the forces of soil movement. A summary of the advantages and disadvantages is below.

The Proven and Permanent Solution

Advantages ♦ The bell bottom pier method is a proven, time-tested, and permanent foundation slab repair method ♦ A soil test is performed to confirm the depth of stable soil ♦ The depth of the pier will be between 8 and 15 feet ♦ The shape, alignment, and depth of a Bell Bottom Pier is inspected by a third party engineering firm ♦ The upper portion of the Bell Bottom Pier or cap is reinforced with two mats of steel rebar ♦ High strength concrete is poured to form a single, solid column that is stronger and has much better resistance to vertical and horizontal soil movement ♦ The center shaft is reinforced with 3 rods of steel rebar ♦ Large bell bottom “foot” of 22 inches provides excellent support ♦ The bell bottom or “foot” resists soil movement known as uplift ♦ The engineering “Factor of Safety” or load capacity is more than 5.8 times greater than standard 6 inch concrete pilings ♦ No hydraulic forces are exerted on the home during the installation ♦ Easily add or move heavy furniture or weight without risk of damage to slab foundation or foundation repair job Disadvantages ♦ Waiting Time – the concrete must cure for approximately two to three weeks between the installation and leveling of the home ♦ Poor construction will compromise the ability of the Bell Bottom Pier to support heavy loads

Pressed Piling Method

The most common method of foundation repair in Sugar Land and the rest of Texas is the Pressed Piling or Pressed Piles method. This method of foundation repair has been labeled “temporary” and “useless” by the structural engineers at A-1 Engineering in San Antonio and Austin. It is an opinion based on known facts. This is the lowest quality method of foundation repair utilized in Texas but it is the most common because it is the most profitable for the foundation repair contractors.
Pressed piles are concrete cylinders that are pressed into the ground under a home’s foundation.  The hope is that the hydraulic system will drive the piles vertically into the ground. This can only be hope since there is no method to confirm the fact.  If the concrete cylinders hit a rock, tree root, or crack during driving they can skew off on an angle and then they will offer little or no support for a concrete slab foundation.
Although some more recent versions of this method have attempted to “tie” the concrete cylinders together with a cable or steel rods, it is a poor substitute for a single unit support structure. The 12 inch concrete cylinders will be individually pressured by the forces of soil movement.  In addition, since the house itself is being used as the weight to drive the concrete piles into the ground, the foundation can be significantly damaged by crew error.

Advantages ♦ There is no poured concrete so there is no curing time ♦ The total job time is very short – usually one day Disadvantages ♦ Unproven repair method – no load or capacity tests in Texas soil conditions ♦ Long term viability and performance has not been established by the test of time ♦ Usually a soil test is NOT conducted ♦ The weight of the house will determine the maximum driving depth – if the house does not weigh enough the piles may never reach stable soil ♦ Concrete cylinders have NO steel rebar for reinforcement ♦ Usually the concrete piles are NOT tested for strength – some are batch tested ♦ Piles that are cracked and broken during the driving installation cannot be seen ♦ The misalignment of the piles cannot be determined or seen ♦ Usually city building inspectors do not inspect the final results ♦ The engineering “Factor of Safety” is 1 – the column of piles cannot support any additional weight; adding or moving heavy furniture poses a risk of failure ♦ Hydraulic lifting of the house during installation can damage your foundation and home – the perimeter concrete beam can be cracked ♦ The piling cylinders are unconnected and offer minimal resistance to the soil forces of uplift and heave

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