Soil subsidence

[Chris Bernhardt]

2003 fancy 3000SF home in the middle of a developement built on a hill and lot is sloped.

soil by my estimates in about a 100sf area in the crawlspace has subsided enough to pull the ground out from under about 10' of foundation with crevices adjacent.

Recommend a geotechnical engineer evaluate it right? No failure in the foundation as of yet.

How do they fix stuff like this when the soil has fallen from the foundation?

Chris, Oregon

[Jerry Simon]

Under-pinning.

[Les]

Usually mud-jacking. From what you say, this is a good candidate. Me? I would write "That does not look right. Get a foundation company to fix it"

[Chris Bernhardt]

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The fotos don't due it justice. This is a big crevice at the footer and ground under the footer is soft soft soft certainly not native packed soil. There are some hard to see seconday fissures about a foot away in one of the pics.

So are you saying don;t waste time with a geotech and just go straight to the foundation repair contractor?

Chris, Oregon

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by Chris BernhardtThe fotos don't due it justice. This is a big crevice at the footer and ground under the footer is soft soft soft certainly not native packed soil. There are some hard to see seconday fissures about a foot away in one of the pics.

So are you saying don;t waste time with a geotech and just go straight to the foundation repair contractor?

Chris, Oregon

You might recommend they call Jay Kushner at Seismic Technologies - 503 283-8337. This is right up his alley. He's an engineer who specializes in concrete foundations. He's also very knowledgeable about geotech issues. He can design and oversee the repairs.

Possible repairs might include traditional underpinning or helical piers.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Bain]

We have hills in Kentucky, but I've never seen anything like that. Chris, did gravity cause the soil to shift, as a result of the sloped lot?

[Chris Bernhardt]

No, it makes me think more of sink hole. There was about a 10' x10' area that looked like it sank and the middle of the area mushy under the VP.

Chris, Oregon

[Chris Bernhardt]

Thanks Jim for the contact.

Would you ever suggest that the seller contact the builder to have it evaluated in case its something thats under warranty or is that poking your head in hornets nest?

Chris, Oregon

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by Chris Bernhardt

Thanks Jim for the contact.

Would you ever suggest that the seller contact the builder to have it evaluated in case its something thats under warranty or is that poking your head in hornets nest?

Chris, Oregon

I'd advise my customer to gather lots of information. If it turns out that the builder placed the footing on fill, then I'd share my opinion that the builder ought to contribute to repairing this mess.

If I were working for the buyer, I wouldn't see any need to communicate with the seller at all.

- Jim Katen, Oregon