Connecticut Basement Systems Case Studies: Foundation Push Piers in Meriden, CT

Wednesday, November 1st, 2023 by Grace Manente

Challenge

A homeowner in Meriden, CT had a foundation that was cracked and settling, making the basement of the home very uneven. The crack was visible from the inside and outside and a whole hand could fit through the crack. This means that it was a huge problem. The floors in the basement were not level and as you walked from one side to the other, you could easily feel the difference. If this didn't get fixed the house would be in terrible conditions and continue to get worse. Our Sales Consultant, Gus Stozinic was able to see all of these issues and understand that this was going to be a big project for our Foundation Support team of Connecticut Basement Systems.

Solution

Once a solution was written up and work was proposed it would be time for one of our foundation crews to get to work. This team consisted of our Foreman, Sergio Alves, and Jacob Scott. To install the push piers, a trench must be dug alongside the foundation in the back of the house. Once that was done, it would be time to begin push pier installation. These go below the foundation's footing and are then steel pier sections that are hydraulically driven into the ground until they reach stable soil. Then the team would raise the foundation to ensure the house is no longer sagging and the cracks come together, but this is done slowly and carefully. This is done using the hydraulic pressure. Slowly you could see the large crack closing up. Once the homeowner and Sergio were satisfied with the stabilization of the foundation, the cracks were sealed on the outside and finally, it was time to backfill with soil. On the inside, the cracks were closed up, but sealed and waterproofed, and then our crew installed CarbonArmor strips to strengthen and help stabilize the wall. Overall, this was a very large project, but the homeowner was very happy with the results, seeing her foundation was in great shape!