MOORE & TABER                     

 

 

Soil Grouting and Ground Improvement Specialists

 

         

Moore & Taber has been involved with thousands of remedial ground treatment and underpinning jobs in residential neighborhoods.  One of the most common problems we see is differential foundation settlement.  Often times this is caused by differential soil compression from one portion of a lot to another.  This is commonly the result of a differential thickness of fill or alluvium that the house was built on.  Introduction of water to the subgrade, commonly from leaky pipes or landscape irrigation, tends to exacerbate soil settlement.

A building's relative elevation differential, or "tilt" is typically measured at the slab or floor grade with a water level instrument, or "manometer".  Measurements are recorded on a floor plan and are contoured to provide an estimate of the direction and magnitude of structural tilt.  The resulting pattern provides the project geotechnical engineer with a valuable diagnostic tool.  Excessive structural tilt often requires that the building be re-leveled.

The diagram to the left depicts approximately 7 inches of structural tilt in the pre-grouted condition, observed in a distressed home in Ventura County, California.  The floor plan view shows tilt toward the bottom of the page.  A 3-D block depiction is also included to emphasize the effect of the tilt.  This home was built on over 60 feet of differential fill and alluvial soils, resulting in visible damage to the residence.  The direction and magnitude of relative elevation differential are coincident with the thickening wedge of compressible soil toward the center of the buried canyon.

Compaction grouting techniques were used to densify weak, compressible soils beneath this house, and to raise the structure to an improved elevation.  A contoured manometer survey of the post-grouted condition, conducted upon conclusion of the grouting program reveals significant improvement over pre-treatment gradients.

A significant advantage to using compaction grouting is that soils underlying the distressed home do not require removal and recompaction in the conventional sense.  Consequently, demolition or relocation of the house is not required, reducing the overall cost of the repair. 

Moore & Taber can also relevel structures with mechanical jacking and underpinning techniques.  These processes are typically applied in areas where grouting is not practical, or in areas of bedrock or expansive soils.

All of Moore & Taber's residential work is conducted with state-of-the-art, limited-access equipment and experienced personnel.  We are proud of the long line of successful residential repair projects throughout our 30-year history.  Please do not hesitate to contact one of our many experienced representatives with any questions you may have regarding your specific repair requirements.

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