Read Prevent Foundation Settlement with Piers and Caissons

1. Blog - Dmidrilling.com Prevent Foundation Settlement with Piers and Caissons After a house has been built, soil problems, weather conditions and moisture problems can cause the foundation to settle. Foundation settlement can result in wall cracks. Over time, foundation settlement can jeopardise the structural integrity of the building. If you reside in an area with excess seismic activity, foundation settlement can be very dangerous and might even result in the house collapsing during or after an earthquake. To limit settlement, some foundations need to be banked up with piers and caissons. Piers are basically steel pipes shoved into the soil and are connected to the foundation. They can be installed even after a home is built with portable tools and without notable disruption to the inhabitants. The piers are usually connected with concrete beams. Caissons are the second type of deep foundation used when soil conditions are very poor or the structure involved is heavy and large. Many hillside houses, high-rise complexes and apartment buildings require caissons to give additional support. Caissons are also used when constructing freeways and bridges, as well as holding walls designed to support falling hillsides. When a hillside retaining wall is constructed, the soil behind it will exert pressure on the wall. This will cause the wall to fall, either by sliding, overturning or collapse. Caissons are formed by drilling a huge, subterranean shaft. The shaft is then filled with strengthened concrete, along with steel or rebar. Some shafts are deep as 150 feet. Thus, piers and caissons help to strengthen the foundation of any big structure.