Bill C.
Home Owner
We had a minor problem they came ahead of time, finished very fast. They were very professional and friendly. The cost was excellent for the job they did. I would recommend them again to all people who need structural repair.
Earthquake Piers
If your home or commercial building was constructed more than two decades ago, it may need some earthquake strengthening upgrades to its foundation. Along with the basic foundation piers such as concrete piers, perma pile piers, and steel piers, Level Home Foundation Repair also offers a reinforced foundation material known as an earthquake pier or seismic pier.
These specially reinforced steel piers and beams are used to stabilize a house or commercial building in the event of an earthquake or another serious natural event, protecting your greatest investment from unwanted destruction or damage.
The problem that most common post and pier foundations experience during an earthquake is when the posts shift off piers and beams in the structure. If there is a failure at either of these points, it could cause the foundation, or even the entire house, to collapse.
Who Needs Earthquake Piers?
If your house sits on a wall of poured concrete, with only a few posts in the center under beams to support the structure, there may be nothing but a few nails and gravity to hold the whole house or building in place.
In order to check yourself whether your house might need earthquake strengthening or not, carefully go into the crawlspace or basement and look for thick bolts along the top of the sill plate, and also look for steel anchor plates that are used to tie an edge of the sill plate to the side of the foundation. For a house that rests directly on a flat concrete slab, metal straps or bolts should be in place to tie the sill plate to the concrete slab. If you find neither, then you will definitely want to consider adding these to your home as extra reinforcement. There are several methods to reinforce your foundation for earthquakes and other seismic events, depending on the existing stability of your structure.
How Much Do Earthquake Piers Cost?
Some houses might be supported by upright posts that rest on concrete blocks or piers. During an earthquake, this type of foundation support can be especially vulnerable to back-and-forth seismic movement and risks a possible structural collapse. Repairing collapsed foundation in this type of foundation can be extremely expensive, and that’s only if the house can still be salvaged.
Fortunately, there are steps that can be taken to strengthen post and pier foundations from severe impact. We provide a full-service foundation repair at Level Home Foundation Repair, and we make sure all of our customers are able to achieve the longevity out of their homes and businesses they expect.
The preventative solution may be as easy as bracing the posts to ensure there is no movement of the foundation. A more permanent/complex solution is to add a totally new earthquake-resistant foundation. Somewhere between these services, you may also be able to have short L-shape concrete foundations poured around each corner which is then securely attached to the floors framing.
For additional information on earthquake piers, please contact us for help today. We are experienced and qualified to handle the situation and will answer any questions you have.
