Foundation settlement occurs when soil compresses or is washed away and can no longer support the weight of your home. Your home sits on several different layers of soil. Each layer has its own thickness, density, and load-bearing capacity.
When you notice a wall crack or a bowing wall in your Chicagoland home, it should trigger the question: Is this crack or bowing wall due to foundation settlement. Any wall crack should be inspected by a foundation repair contractor. The professionals at United Structural Services can inspect your walls and give you the solutions needed for your cracked or bowing walls.
If the experts at USS find that your wall cracks or bowing walls are due to foundation settlement, they have several solutions to fix your foundation.
Steel piers are an end-bearing pier that are individually driven deep into the ground to load bearing soil. Each pier is load tested using the maximum weight of the structure as the reaction force. Then the weight of the structure is transferred through the piers to load bearing soil, lifting the foundation back to its original level.
Helical pier/anchors can be used in your Chicagoland home when you have leaning or bowing walls. A helical anchor is an extendable deep foundation system that consists of a central shaft with helix-shaped bearing plates welded to the central shaft. The shaft is used to extend the anchor into competent load-bearing soils. The load is transferred from the shaft to the soil through the bearing plates. These helical piers/anchors can be used for both residential and commercial foundation repair in Chicagoland.
Micropiles are used in the Chicagoland area when it is not possible to find supporting soils close to the surface grade. They are high performing and high capacity rods that are rotary drilled into the ground then grouted into place. These are used when there is a problem using conventional deep foundation. They are used in the Chicago area due to the challenging urban areas that feature mixed fills, nearby buildings, and difficult access.
Helical tiebacks are a common product used to reinforce bowing walls and stabilize them. These consist of a long metal rods inserted into the soil to evenly distribute the pressure caused by the soil when it expands and pushes the walls due to too much moisture. This a cost-effective method for fixing your bowing walls in Chicagoland.
Soil nails are the solution when you are in need of a more stable retaining wall or are used on a construction project that needs a temporary retaining wall. This method involves inserting of a reinforcing bar into pre-drilled holes and then grouted into place.
The solutions that United Structural Services offers for your wall repair in Chicagoland, will repair the problem and stabilize your walls so that you can be reassured that your home is structurally sound. At the first sign of wall damage, contact the experts at United Structural Services for a free inspection.
USS has been in the foundation repair business since 1995 and have been providing the Chicago area with structural repair in both the commercial and residential sector. We are a recognized leader in the foundation repair industry and are locally owned and operated. We serve the entire Chicagoland metro area and have the knowledge of the soil conditions in the area which gives us the confidence in knowing how to repair your foundation. At the first sign of wall damage or foundation settlement, contact the professionals at United Structural Services.
