Resistance piers – commonly referred to as push piers – are a great solution for any structure experiencing foundation settlement. Push piers will lift, level, and stabilize a foundation from experiencing any future settlement.
The Push Pier Installation Process
The push pier installation process is as follows:
- Pier locations are excavated and in most cases hand dug to expose the bottom of the footing. If there are plants or bushes in the way, we suggest having a gardener come out to move them or we will always strive to do our best to remove and place back just as it was.
- Galvanized steel brackets are mounted and installed to the bottom of your foundation.
- Using a large hydraulic ram, ram stand, galvanized steel piers (pipe) are driven through the brackets until they reach the load bearing stratum and meet the load requirements specified by an engineer.
- Once the piers are in place, we’re ready to lift and stabilize the foundation back to a more desired elevation using a synchronized hydraulic lifting system.
- After the lift is completed and the work is approved by the local building inspector, the lifting system is removed and the holes are backfilled.
- When the backfill is complete or when the concrete is poured back over those pier locations, we will then call for a final inspection and your project will be signed off and complete.
Most people are surprised the push pier installation process is so uninvasive. Not requiring excavators or heavy duty equipment, most of the equipment we bring can be brought with us on our fleet trucks.
Check out our animation on how Push Piers are installed below.
For more information, see Pier And Beam Foundation Repair Methods.
Benefits of Push Piers
The benefits of push piers include the following:
- Push Piers can be installed in hard to reach areas.
- Galvanized steel bracket, and pipe to withstand corrosion over time.
- They use the weight of the structure pushing down on the stabilized pier that keeps the whole thing together and prevents any movement
- They don’t require using any heavy equipment.
Limitations of Push Piers
The limitations of push piers include:
- Push piers are a great product and are the product that we install the most of. However, they do have some limitations. Push piers provide supplemental support to your existing foundation, so that means that the integrity of your foundation is important.
- Any home built after the 1940’s will likely be a perfect candidate for push piers. Homes built before the 1940’s can be good candidates as well, however prior to that time it wasn’t common to place rebar reinforcement in foundations so the piers may not be able to be spaced 6’ apart which makes them cost effective. At that age the integrity of the foundation can be compromised, so it is important to have the foundation inspected to ensure it still has the integrity required for proper push pier installation.
- If a foundation is heavily cracked or crumbling, it will most likely need to be replaced rather than underpinned.
Bay Area Underpinning provides you with the most cost-effective solution to your residential or commercial foundation repair needs. From our Project Estimators, In-house Engineers, Project Superintendents, Project Foreman, we are by your side throughout the entire process.
