Concrete Foundation Repair - What You Need to Know to Keep Your Structure Strong

There are a number of instances where a concrete foundation repair is necessary in order to maintain the structural integrity of a building.

These could be a partial collapse of the building, as a result of water intrusion or an earthquake, or damages caused by overloading a structural deck or slab, or a failure of the foundation due to an improper installation.

In any instance where it appears the concrete footings need to be repaired, a detailed evaluation of the problem, followed by repair recommendations from a structural engineer, is the first step.

Most likely, the building or structure exhibited some signs, or there were indications that pointed to a problem with the concrete foundation.

Typical signs could be a sagging roof line, cracks in the plaster or stucco, or the building is unstable under certain loads.

In the worst-case scenario, a building might be red-tagged, and the inhabitants would have to vacate until the building inspector released the building as safe.

Once the structural engineer has generated a set of repair plans, a licensed concrete contractor will be employed to perform the repairs.

The contractor will start by excavating in order to expose the damaged sections of the foundation, and depending on the extent of the repairs, shoring may be needed to support one, or more sections of the building while the repairs are accomplished.

With the shoring in place, the damaged foundations can be removed using a jack hammer, or heavy equipment if necessary.

A typical concrete foundation repair will include embed rebar dowels, that are installed into the adjacent, undamaged concrete using a commercial, two-part epoxy.

Depending on the type of concrete foundation that's in place, it may be necessary to cut the adjacent concrete slab in order to remove the damaged section of foundation.

A smooth saw cut will allow for embed dowels to be installed per the engineer's specifications.

In addition, the repair will require embed dowels at either end of existing foundation.

The next step will be to install forms for the new section of foundation, and install the steel rebar in the footing.

The rebar is either tied or welded to the dowels to form the continuous reinforcing system.

Once the forms and rebar have been inspected, the foundation concrete can be poured in place, and the anchor bolts and structural hold-downs can be located in the fresh concrete.

When the concrete has initially set, the forms can be stripped and the excavation can be hand back-filled.

However, the back-fill cannot be compacted until the concrete has cured to a specified strength.

With many commercial buildings, samples of the concrete are sent to a lab for testing, and the test reports will indicate at what point the concrete foundation will sustain a load.

When the concrete has achieved the specified strength, the back-fill can be compacted, and any walls or other parts of the structure that were removed can be replaced.

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Building the Right Foundation for Your Shed

As with all building structures, the foundation is the most important aspect of building a backyard storage shed. Making sure you have planned a good foundation for your shed is a key part of planning this do-it-yourself project.

There are many different ways you can provide a foundation for your shed. Basically, it comes down to two different types of approaches. You can build a foundation on top of the ground (known as grade-level or floating foundation) or you can dig down into the earth below the frost line and build up from there (known as frost-proof foundations). Which one you choose depends upon the climate of your area and the size and function of your shed. Another factor is cost, as frost-proof foundations are significantly more expensive and more difficult to install. However, with a large shed, it would be a worthwhile investment.

If you intend to build a large shed, one that may even be best described as a free-standing garage, you will want a strong foundation to support the weight of the building. Since your shed may cover a fair amount of square footage, you don't want to subject your shed to the ground movement of multiple freeze-thaw cycles.

If your shed will be relatively small, even if you live in a cold climate subjected to winter ground movement, you can still consider a floating foundation. Floating foundations can be implemented in a number of different ways. You can simply start your shed foundation with treated lumber timbers lying on the ground (skids) and build a framework (much like a deck) on top of the skids. This is particularly a good foundation for small sheds that could potentially be moved from one site in your backyard to another with the use of a large tractor or forklift.

Another option is to use blocks. These are normally concrete and can be used to keep the floor of the shed above the ground. This aids in preventing damage due to moisture. There are also precast concrete piers that are specially made to hold wood framing members or posts. Both blocks and piers are useful when the ground where the shed will sit is not level. Precast piers are especially good when one corner of the shed is significantly lower than the other three. You can insert a post into the pier to help prop up that corner and make the entire floor level.

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