Concrete pier will provide long-term support.
Concrete pier foundation repairs are one of the oldest methods of repair in use in Dallas, Texas Fort Worth. When properly installed, a concrete pier will provide long-term support. All concrete pier types require large holes and more landscape removal than steel piers.
Many concrete contractors do not add water, achieving a depth of 8-10 feet with the shortest possible installation time and least expense. The continual addition of water during a piling drive achieves greater depth and stability. 12 feet is the minimum depth needed to minimize movement due to seasonal moisture changes unless the system has been driven to rock at a lower depth.
Installation depth is dependent upon the available drive force. Installation of pre-cast concrete is impeded by surface friction and end bearing resistance. At a diameter of 6 inches, a concrete piling requires four times the installation pressure of steel. The cost of material is less than that of steel. Concrete installation seldom reaches bedrock.
After the concrete is pressed, the foundation is leveled using steel shims.
Caution about pressed concrete pilings:
When installed properly, the pier system provides a relatively reliable repair. The system is not quite as good as Steel piers because it is seldom driven to rock. The problem with concrete pressed pilings is when they are improperly installed to a depth of 3-5 feet. The piling system appears robust but will probably fail in a few years.
We see this problem of premature concrete pier failure arise when the crew receives an incentive for the number of piers systems installed per day. Most often this arises when either a contractor pays a crew bonus on the number of piers installed, or the foundation repair contractor uses a sub-contractor.
There are some very good sub-contractors, and there are some really bad apples. The bad apples will drive short and fast when it comes to repair work. Several times each year, Dallas, Texas-based business, Granite Foundation Repair’s services are hired to re-do or repair the concrete pier installation because of sub-standard work done by an unscrupulous Texas competitor.
