Pier and Beam Foundation Problems: More Than Meets the EyePosted by Kemp Lindahl on June 22nd, 2021 Problems related to pier and beam foundations can be very tough to pin-point as foundation problems as there are several things happening with pier and beam foundations that would normally 't be present in a normal slab on grade foundation, such as the actual sagging from the beams between your piers, or lateral movement with the piers, or uneven loading of the piers (the industry type of foundation failure). So not only may a pier and beam foundation be subject the same issues that a consistent concrete slab on grade foundation could be be subject to, but a pier and beam foundation might have additional conditions could possibly have almost nothing to do with the soil supporting the piers. Let's briefly discuss some of the non-soil related problems. One from the main problems that you can have having a pier and beam foundation has about either deterioration (rotting) from the beams spanning between piers (if using wood beams) or excessive deflections (sagging from the beams). As wood beams age, they tend to disintegrate because they're not thoroughly protected from the environment. As the years pass by, the beams will increasingly sag, which means that anything that those beams are supporting will even sag. visit this site being sustained by these beams begins cracking, giving the illusion that you have a foundation problem. A structural Engineer would usually be capable of let you know if this describes a problem Another prevalent problem for pier and beam foundations will be the lateral movement of the piers. In many instances a floor with a pier and beam foundation is several feet out with the ground, we've even seen houses out and about craigs list 4ft away from the ground. As you can imagine, in the event the wind pressure pushes up against the house these wind forces should be somehow transferred back to the floor meaning the top of these piers become flag poles, swaying back and forth using the wind. It may not be noticeable for the human eye, though the little movement is sufficient to develop some cracks inside the walls, providing you with again the illusion that you've a foundation problem. Once again, an experienced Structural Engineer would have the ability to determine if this is a problem. Uneven pier loading is an additional prevalent problem for pier and beam foundations. This is usually a problem with all the design in the foundation mainly because it relates to knowing where you can place the piers. Heavily loaded areas (like load bearing walls) and lightly loaded areas (like inside the middle with the family room) could settle differentially from one another when the design was not done correctly from your beginning; which is, the piers on the heavy loaded may "sink" more than the piers inside lightly loaded areas in the event the piers weren't properly engineered. Your Domain Name causes cracks in the floors (if using brittle finishes) as well as cracks in the wall. This is a basis problem, but this is tough to verify it because it could simply be wrongly identified as soil movement due to the soil moisture changing. Your best bet is a Structural Engineer to assess the issue. We have gone through just a few instances of problems that you may face with a pier and beam foundation, so when you can observe, not every problems have related to the muse. my link is greater than what you know already. The moral on this story is, just because the thing is that a crack it doesn't mean you do have a foundation problem, if you would like a good and unbiased opinion then obtain a Structural Engineer that does not help a foundation repair company.Like it? Share it! More by this author |