San Antonio Foundation Repair ~ Foundation Evaluation Can Be Tricky
The job of fixing a foundation is a difficult one. In particular, San Antonio foundation repair is especially tricky. The expansive soils, heavy thunderstorms, and topography in the city create issues in south central Texas that are not experienced in other locales. A good foundation repair company will use an engineering approach to every foundation it attempts to repair.
The American Society of Civil Engineers has established a methodology that should be followed by anyone attempting to repair a foundation for a structure. The guidelines include:
1. Observance of the existing structure and surrounding area – Repairing foundations is far from a ‘cookbook’ type of task. Each foundation, the site it is located on, and the circumstances in which it was built are unique to every structure. It is important for a repair company to understand all of these characteristics before attempting a repair.
2. Evaluate the situation – Once the site has been observed and data collected, the engineer should review what was found on site. The exact cause of the failure can be determined through analysis of the data collected, and only then should the repair be planned. If the structure failed due to expansive clays, the repair should focus on the soils. If the failure was due to an insufficient beam or pier, the repair should address the structural features of the building.
3. Develop a Plan – A good San Antonio foundation repair company will have an engineer on staff that is experienced with all of the issues affecting structures in that area. They can then use that experience and the data gathered about the specific location to develop a plan of action that will provide the home owner or building owner with a long lasting solution to their problem.
4. Test the Plan – All structural design can be tested through either computer simulation or hand calculations. Every structural repair should be put through extreme tests of what may be experienced in the field before it is installed at the site.
5. Prepare construction plans – If the solution holds up to the tests in step 4, construction plans and specifications for the installation can be completed and prepared for the contractor. If the solution does not pass the test, a new solution should be developed and retested.
All of these steps are necessary for every structural failure in San Antonio. Home owners and business owners that are in need of a San Antonio foundation repair should carefully select the company to perform work on their foundation. It is critical that a carefully formulated approach is used in order to repair the foundation correctly.
