Underpinning systems for settled foundaPiers driven to bearing strata stabilize settlement and also can be used to lift

settled structures
BY BRUCE A. SUPRENANT

oes the roof leak? Are there cracks in the exterior brick walls? Are windows stuck and door frames distorted? If so, the building foundation may have settled. In many cases, settlement can be arrested and the building can be restored to near its original condition by using pro p ri e t a ry underpinning systems. The systems increase foundation load-bearing capacity with steel piers that are pushed or screwed into the ground beneath the footings or floor slab. Jacking against the piers raises the foundation back to its original elevation, and the increased bearing capacity from the

piers provides permanent support. In 2 or 3 days, a structure can be raised enough to close cracks, straighten door frames, and correct other cosmetic distress symptoms.

Foundation settlement symptoms and causes

All foundations settle. Fortunately, most foundations settle with few signs of cracking or distress. However, not all building owners are this fortunate. Some foundations settle and show many signs of distress: Unlevel floors and ceilings Cracked plaster and tile Leaking roofs Cracked veneers

Figure 1. In this underpinning system, steel pipe piers are driven with a hydraulic jack to bearing strata. The foundation can then be lifted or stabilized by jacking against the pier. Load is transferred through the Lbracket assembly. Figure 2. Helical piles used for underpinning are screwed into the ground with an electric or hydraulic driving device. Next, a torque wrench or hydraulic jack applies pressure that pushes down on the pile, pulling up on the bracket and structure. Load is transferred from the bracket to the pile. Broken pipes Windows and doors that jam or stick Excessive settlement can be caused by placing foundations on improperly compacted fill soils or by building on compressible or shrinking soils. These soils move and, as the foundation moves with them, building components crack. Poor drainage near a building can contribute to settlement problems by saturating and weakening the surrounding soil. And in some cases, erosion of supporting soil causes settlement.

tem uses sections of galvanized or e p ox y-coated steel pipe for the piers. The piers are point bearing and are driven to bearing strata with a hydraulic drive unit (Figure 1). Another system uses screw piles with solid steel shafts (Figure 2). The lead section, with one or more helixes attached, provides the needed bearing capacity. The piers are s c re wed into the ground with an electric or hydraulic drive unit and extensions (without helixes) are added during driving until bearing strata is reached. Both systems can be installed from inside or outside the building. Neither driving technique produces harmful vibrations.

to account during the design phase. Establish soil types and profile and estimate the depth to suitable bearing. A geotechnical engineers services and laboratory soil tests might be needed. For some applications, field borings and standard penetration tests are necessary. Manufacturers supply technical guides and computer programs that give design information for use in selecting the pier type, establishing the pier capacity, estimating dead and live loads, and calculating pier spacing. The information includes design tables, aides for estimating structural loads, and factor of safety determinations for calculating pier design capacity.

Planning an underpinning installation

Figure 3. A pipe pier being driven by hydraulic ram with the buildings dead weight serving as a reaction block. A bearing plate on the first section of pier driven is slightly larger in diameter than the pipe. This creates a space around the sides of the pier and reduces sidewall friction. Before underpinning begins, considerable planning must be done to ensure a successful job. First, check all applicable city, county, and state codes for local design standards. Local codes may establish dead and live loads for building stru c t u re s. They also may set minimum standards for underpinning structures. These standards should be taken in-

Underpinning: The basic steps

With either the pipe or screw-type pier system, one or more steel piers are driven to rock or a suitable soil bearing layer and are connected to the foundation through a metal head assembly. Hydraulic jacks attach to the embedded steel piers and are used to raise the foundation back to its original elevation. Excavation. Although the steel piers can be pushed or screwed into

Why repair?
In most stru c t u re s, settlement is minor, cracks are narrow, and repairs arent needed. But as little as 1/2 inch of foundation settlement can cause the distress symptoms identified above and require repairs to be made. Its smart business sense for owners to repair the damage to ensure the structures resale market value. In some cases, settlement impairs the stability and strength of the structure. Although structural damage is rarely life threatening, foundation settlements can cause electrical shorts and gas line breaks that can be life threatening. When settlement causes structural damage, ask a geotechnical engineer to find out why the foundation settled and what, if any, repair is needed.

Underpinning systems compared

Two different types of underpinning systems are available. One sys-

Figure 4. A hydraulic jack placed between the pier and a thick lifting plate pushes down against the pier and up against the lifting plate to raise the foundation. An end line gauge gives a direct readout of the lifting force applied. When the structure is lifted to the specified elevation, two high-strength steel pins connect the pier to the L-bracket, which transfers load from the foundation to the pier.

the soil from above, they must be connected to the foundation. A small excavation, typically a 3-foot square hole extending about 1 foot below the footing, exposes the bottom of the footing at each location where a pier is driven. Because the holes are small, theres little damage to landscaping. Foundation connection. In the pipe pier process, an L-shaped bracket that transfers load from the footing to the pier is first attached to the footing. Then the pier is dri ve n . For the screw pier process, the order is reversed. The pier is driven first, then a lifting bracket is attached to the footing. To prepare for transferring load to the foundation, workers use a chipping hammer to smooth the outside face and bottom of the footing and create a nearly right-angle corner. This allows the L-shaped pier bracket to be placed directly under the foundation wall. The bracket is seated under and bolted to the side of the footing. If necessary, nonshrink grout is placed on the vertical and hori zo ntal faces of the steel L-bracket to provide continuous bearing support. For foundations re q u i ri n g more support, a steel beam can be placed under the foundation with the L-bracket seated against the steel beam. The L-bracket transfers the load from the foundation to the in-place steel pier. Its also used as a jacking platform to raise the foundation. Driving the steel piers. For the systems using steel pipe piers, a hydraulic ram is attached to the Lbracket during driving of the pier ( Fi g u re 3). The bracket lets the hydraulic ram use the buildings dead weight as a reaction block when its forcing the steel pier into the soil. The steel pipe piers consist of 3to 4-foot connected lengths of 3- to 4-inch-diameter pipe. The first pipe section thats driven has a slightly larger diameter end plate welded to the bottom. This acts as a bearing plate but also breaks the friction along the pipe so the pier can be pushed to firm, hard bearing. Addi-

tional sections of pier are added as the driving operation continues. For the helical pier system, a hydraulic rotary drive unit screws the piers into the soil. The first length placed is the only one with helical screws; additional lengths are standard square shaft sections. A connector placed between sections of steel shaft holds the pier sections together. New lengths of steel shaft are added until the pier reaches suitable bearing. Although some piers have been installed to depths of more than 100 feet, most are less than 40 feet deep. Driving is completed when the pier reaches bedrock or an equal bearing strata. For the piering system driven by h yd raulic ram, equal bearing strata is assumed to be reached when the s t ru c t u re starts to lift or when the jacking load equals the steel pier capacity. For the helical pile system, bearing capacity is defined by relating the column bearing capacity to a torque wrench measurement. Raising the structure. Using a portable band saw, workers cut the last installed pipe or square shaft section to length then mount a lifting and holding platform on the pier. Next, they bolt a thick lifting plate to the L-bracket. A hand-actuated hydraulic jack is placed between the pier platform and a thick lifting plate. When pressurized, the jack pushes down against the steel pier and up against the thick steel lifting plate. With steel piers of adequate load capacity, pressurizing the jack raises the structure to the lifting plate, which transfers the load through tension in the bolts to the L-bracket (Figure 4). When the structure is lifted to the specified elevation, two high-strength steel pins are used to connect the pipe column platform to the L-bracket. Then workers release the pressure and remove the h yd raulic jack and lifting assembly. Although each steel pier can be d ri ven individually, raising the s t ru c t u re requires simultaneous jacking at each pier. The jacks can be connected in series to create a constant uniform lift; howe ve r, Publication # C910321

since the settlement varies, the lift at each pier location also va ri e s. Jacking sequentially with incremental lifting and then holding at each column is usually preferred. Once the s t ru c t u re is raised and the equipment removed from the excavation, the hole can be backfilled with the previously removed soil. Soil is placed and compacted in 12-inch lifts until the ground is restored to its original elevation.

Cautions
Although the underpinning methods described are engineered systems, inexperienced contractors should get engineering advice for most jobs. Residential jobs involve small pier loads and may not require soil tests or engineering evaluation. But even houses, if theyre of full masonry construction, for instance, could be damaged during underpinning. Stabilizing a foundation to prevent further settlement incurs little risk of damaging the structure. But lifting a structure to restore it to original elevation can cause damage. Dont try to lift structures with stone or rock foundations without first consulting an engineer. If pier spacing exceeds 8 feet, have an engineer verify that the foundation is strong enough to be lifted with the planned span length. Check for reinforcing steel in the footing. Pier spacing may be dictated by footing strength.

Costs
Underpinning costs vary considerably across the United States. For a rough estimate use $750 to $1,100 per pier. To lift a building corner that has settled requires three to four piers and costs about $3,000 to $5,000. Repairing a building severely damaged by settlement could cost as much as $15,000.

Bruce A. Suprenant is a consulting engineer, an adjunct associate professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a contributing writer to this magazine.

Copyright 1991, The Aberdeen Group. All rights reserved