Smart contractors understand the value of preventative maintenance, and pre-construction foundation stabilization is exactly that — it prevents foundation movement, so foundation problems hardly ever have a chance of occurring.
Benefits of Pre-Constructions Foundation Stabilization
While commercial foundations can be stabilized after they’re built, there are many benefits to stabilizing the foundation pre-construction.
- Easier Access: With new construction, there’s nothing impeding our ability to access the ground where the piers need to go.
- Prevents Costly Repairs: Repairing a commercial foundation and any related damage can cost more than the initial cost to stabilize a foundation pre-construction.
- Lowers Insurance Cost: Because pre-construction piers ensure structural soundness of a commercial property, the cost to insure it may be lower (depending on where it’s built).
- Combats Local Soil Makeup: Throughout Michigan and Ohio the soil is a clay composition. Clay easily expands when wet and shrinks when dry. This constant expansion and contraction can make commercial foundations move and crack. If a foundation has already been stabilized, it won’t be susceptible to the issues with clay.
- Supports Larger and Heavier Structures: Warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and multi-story buildings can cause added weight in specific spots that wear a foundation down over time. Pre-construction stabilization can account for the additional weight of these spots, prolonging the life of the building.
Pre-Construction Foundation Stabilization Method
Kent Foundation Solutions uses helical piers for most pre-construction stabilization needs. Helical piers look and act like giant screws, using torque (rotational force) to provide stability. Helical piers are “screwed” into the ground until they reach proper soil resistance (aka load-bearing soils). Then top plates are fastened to the tops of pile shafts, and concrete can be poured directly on top. The weight of the finished foundation and resulting structure rests on the helical piers instead of unstable soil.
