Foundation stabilization and ground improvement for a cracking walls and floors in Long Beach, California

Symptoms. Ccracking along the east wall and damage to support posts or beams. 

Ground conditions. Geobear’s determined that the ground beneath the foundation is made ground, meaning placed fill rather than natural soil, and that the foundation is about 8 feet deep.

DCP (dynamic cone penetrometer) testing was included, with two test locations marked on the treatment plan, but no results were available.

The principal conventional alternative is underpinning: excavating beneath the existing foundation in sections and extending it to deeper bearing ground, or installing push piers or helical piles along the wall.

With a foundation about 8 feet deep, electrical, gas and water services marked along the wall, and a working apron beside the building, that approach would involve deep excavation and temporary support next to those services, followed by reinstatement of the surfaces.

Geobear designed a foundation stabilization solution that treats the weak ground in place, working through the existing foundation instead of excavating alongside it. 

Geobear designed a foundation stabilization and ground improvement solution using targeted geopolymer injection along 276 linear feet of the building’s east-side foundation.