Foundation Repair - Push Pier System by Foundation SupportWorks

The best solution for foundation settlement is the push pier system by Foundation SupportWorks.  Push piers permanently stabilize the home and provide the best opportunity to lift the home back toward its original position.  Push piers can be installed either on the interior or exterior of home, depending on factors such as whether there are obstacles on the outside of the home, or if the basement is finished.

The first step of installation is to remove the soil from the area where the foundation needs stabilizing.  The soil is removed all the way down to the footing, where a heavy-duty bracket is installed below and against the footing.  Pipes are then hydraulically driven through the bracket and down to bedrock to stabilize the home.

 There is an enormous amount of pressure and stress being placed on the pipes, especially the first 3 to 4 feet that are connected to the bracket.  To prevent the pipes from bending under stress, an external sleeve is placed over the pipe before it is driven through the bracket.  The external sleeve is a patented product that is exclusive to the Foundation SupportWorks dealer network.  It resists bending forces, makes the connection between the pier and bracket stronger, and ensures that it will last. 

Once bedrock is reached, the pipes continue to be driven down, resulting in pressure slowly pushing the home up.  During installation, 1.5 to 2 times the amount of force is placed on the pier than the amount when it will be holding the home in position to ensure that it can hold the weight of the home.  This means the piers will never experience greater stress than when they are installed.

After installation, the drive cylinder is removed, and a pier cap and threaded rods are installed to permanently attach the pier to the bracket.  Additional piers are then installed the same way one at a time.

Once all the piers have been installed, hydraulic lifting equipment is attached to all the piers at the same time to apply pressure to the piers evenly.  As pressure is applied, the home is lifted slowly.  Once the foreman ensures that the home is lifted as close to its original position as possible, the lifting equipment is removed, the soil is filled, and the foundation is permanently stabilized.