Extreme Foundation Settling Issue in Nashua, NH

Challenge

This home in Nashua, NH was built on an old fill site, and one day began settling at a rapid rate.  The homeowners had just bought the place and were worried about losing their investment. In total, the home sank up to 9 inches. As the foundation sank lower and lower, the slab in the basement also sank, cracking and buckling as it went along. Daylight could be seen between the sill plates and the foundation walls, and the lally columns supporting the beams in the basement were completely detached and left the home at risk of collapsing. 

Solution

We used push piers to stabilize the home and keep it from sinking any further. The piers were pushed 40+ feet into the ground, beneath all the troubled soil which had lost its integrity. With the piers being so deep and fully supported, we were even able to lift the entire foundation and home up almost back to level, without doing any damage to the structure. On the interior, the lally columns were completely detached from the supporting beams in the basement. We lifted the foundation walls, but the slab in the basement was still sunken and crumbling. The homeowners decided to completely replace this slab rather than lift this as well, as they desired a newly poured floor for aesthetic reasons.

The home owners who were once distraught and worried about losing their home are now thrilled and happy to have a stabilized home.

Project Summary

Design Specialist: Matthew Erickson

Products Installed: Push Piers, SmartJacks, PolyLevel