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In this article, we will discuss the solution of foundation heave.
Foundation heave is an upward motion of the foundation due to saturated expansive soil.
The factors that guide the saturation of soil under a foundation are seasonal changes in moisture, underground aquifer, or leakage in underground pipes. It is noted that financial losses due to heaving in the United States are larger than those generated by tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes connected.
The main cause of foundation heave in loose soil, like extensive soil, is the discrepancy in soil moisture. The discrepancy in soil moisture arises due to shifts in the field environment due to natural as well as man-made requirements, and differences related to construction work.
Lighter buildings with thinner foundations are more probable to sorrow from foundation heave than heavier structures with thick foundations.
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors states that soil can give a pressure of up to 260 KN/m2 against the foundation of a building.
1. Causes of Foundation Heave
The causes of foundation heave are as follows:
a. Surprising changes in climate, for instance, long droughts and heavy rains, cause cyclic moisture discrepancy, developing an upward movement of the edge of a structure.
b. Discrepancy in the level of the water table guides transformations in soil moisture, forcing soil swelling.
c. Frost heave and chemical reactions like oxidations of iron pyrite drive the soil below the foundation to extend, making pressure against the foundation.
d. Natural evaporation of moisture in the area surrounded by the structure is decreased, directing to increased soil moisture under the foundation.
e. Soil moisture of the area settled by the structure is also expanded due to a decrease in transpiration of moisture from vegetation.
f. Withdrawing large trees from the construction site may improve soil moisture because the soil moisture was formerly depleted by the trees’ root system. So, the elimination of the source of moisture depletion guides the accumulation and expansion of moisture in the identical soil mass.
g. Insufficient drainage to maintain surface water from the structure makes ponding and subsequent growth in moisture. For example, damaged rain gutters and downspouts create ponds around the structure, and the water finds its way toward the soil under the foundation, which raises soil moisture. In this case, the clay soil will grow and may cause foundation heave.
h. Seepage into the soil below the foundation at soil-foundation interfaces and through excavations pierced for basements or shaft foundations results in raised soil moisture under the foundation.
i. When an aquifer is wiped, underground water drives upward and saturates the soil below the foundation, resulting in soil expansion and the generation of pressure against the foundation.
j. Drying of exposed foundation soil in excavations and decreasing soil surcharge weight gain the likelihood of foundation heaving.
2. Solution of Foundation Heave
Here the solution of foundation heave that you need to follow to solve the problem of foundation heave are as follows:
a. Remove unwanted water wherever possible.
b. Stabilize the soil with a polymer injection.
c. Drain your foundation or repair it completely.
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