Over time, ground geotechnical knowledge and innovation has greatly evolved, bringing significant improvements in terms of foundation development and durability.

You probably heard one of those horror stories where a friend’s cottage or the property of someone you know has literally sunk into the ground causing extensive damage with severe repercussions, not only on the foundation itself, but the entire building structure as well.  

 

What are the most frequent signs of early subsidence on a structure?

A foundation that begins to stall or sink into the ground often shows one or many of the following indicators:

• – Water leaks, 
• – Uneaven surfaces, 
• – Cracks into/on the building (generally observed on walls and/or floors joints)
• – Doors are not closing properly  
• – Windows seals start leaking 

When one or several of these indicators are noticeable, it is critical to act quickly and take the appropriate measures to prevent propagation or aggravation of those problems.   

Screw piles can be used conjointly to solidify and strengthen you home or cabin foundation:

Make an efficient planning before starting construction work: 

First and foremost, before buying your lot and/or property, it is essential to fully understand its existing ground components.  With a geotechnical analysis of the ground, performed by a certified expert, you will be able to obtain valuable insights and recommendations on how to build your foundation (type of process and foundation to select according to your ground specifications).

In fact, it is crucial to know that the type of ground and soil can greatly vary from one region to the next.  For example, some grounds, due to their geological location, will benefit from a compact and sandy constitution while other lots, mostly located within damp and clayey areas, will significantly limit the support capacity of concrete foundations.

It is also a known fact that, considering the notoriety of screw piles in terms of their longevity and eco-responsible characteristics, more and more cities and towns encourage or even require their usage to authorize the construction of new buildings and properties.  Such regulations are even more common in regions known for their clayey and/or very low density grounds.

This is why, no matter where your future construction project will take place, a soil analysis is essential to define, with the highest level of accuracy, the optimal way to combine your concrete foundation and screw piles, meaning how deep your screw piles will have to be installed in order to reach the appropriate soil layer to support the weight of your house or cottage and ensuring its long term stability.    

Thus, not only you will prevent significant structural damage in the future, but also avoid the high costs of renovations.  

Stabilizing an existing foundation already showing visible signs of subsidence and/or cracks: 

When subsidence signs appear on your structure (cracks in your foundation, cracked walls or floors, water leaks problems, doors and windows that are not closing adequately), it is also possible to use screw piles to quickly stabilize your structure and prevent future risks of collapse.  

And just like for a new lot or a new construction, it is also strongly recommended, before the fixing process even begins, to obtain a professional soil analysis to better understand its problematic components in order to efficiently calculate the appropriate depth required to install the screw piles under the concrete sole.    

The process of using screw piles that are well anchored to the foundations holds some notable advantages.  Methods used by professionals include building stabilization, cracks and subsiding reparations as well as foundation waterproofing.    

All these steps, performed by specialists with the utmost care, will help you achieve the main goal which is to prevent any future movement. 

Customized solutions for foundations, conducted by reliable and knowledgeable experts:

Whether it is for a cottage, a garage, a main residence or for any other structural project, no matter the size, one should always seek the assistance of an engineering team in order to determine the best method to perfectly level your structure while being mindful of the environment.  

By opting for screw pile technology for your projects, you are also fostering peace of mind at the lowest immediate costs, but also and mostly, for years to come!