The Exciting world of Construction - Mud Jacking, Helical Piers and Foundation Underpinning

Welcome to The Exciting World of Construction - Mud Jacking, Helical Piers and Foundation Underpinning.

Lesson Six.  

Mud jacking,

and helical piers,

and foundation underpinning...

Oh My!  

We aren’t taking you down the yellow brick road, but we are going to take you on our last journey in concrete learning.

We’ve touched on a few uses of concrete in building foundations. From all appearances, it would seem as if a concrete foundation would be adamant against outside forces. All that rebar, wire, and tons of cement and rock would presumably stand the test of time.

It doesn’t.

While concrete has immense compressive strength (think about the crunch delivered from each step in a pair of heels), if the supporting soil is inadequate to evenly support a footing or slab, it can sag in some areas and snap like a pencil.

Then What?

Well…we fix it.

But not like a wizard behind a curtain! 

This is where mud jacking, helical piers, and foundation underpinning come into play.

Mud jacking can magically lift entire concrete slabs with remarkable precision. Small 2” holes are drilled strategically around the slab, and a pump forces sandy mud through the holes and into the soil beneath to force the slab upward. Catch the video at the end to watch how this works! 

Photo Credit: www.civiltoday.com

Helical piers are drilled into the ground like a corkscrew on a long pole. The screw eventually engages with the bedrock and the top of the pole is used to lift against with a jack – pushing footings back into place. Used horizontally, they can prevent a footing from migrating downhill.

Underpinning, loosely interpreted, is simply excavating beneath a failing footing and pouring more concrete below it to support it in place.

We would love for UPSI to be the first place you “dream” of when you need concrete or foundation repairs. Our team of estimators and construction managers will make sure you are over the rainbow with your completed project.  No wizards at UPSI, just people who love to  problem solve for you!