If your industrial or commercial building is showing signs of possible foundation damage, you should have a contractor check your foundation to make sure your building is safe. If your building has problems due to the soil shifting, you may need to have foundation repair done right away. The type of repairs depends on the type of foundation you have and the nature of the problem. Here's a look at some options for commercial building foundation repairs.

Steel Push Piers And Helical Piers Lift The Building

Steel piers are commonly used for foundation repair. The contractor has to dig away the soil from the foundation so a pier can be inserted under the building and driven deep into the earth to load-bearing rock or soil that's deeper than loose soil that could shift and cause future problems. When the pier is in place, the building is lowered onto it using a hydraulic jack. The building then rests on the pier rather than on unstable soil.

Your foundation could need multiple push piers installed depending on how much of the building has sunk. The piers are fairly small and installing them isn't too disruptive to your property, although soil has to be dug away and then backfilled.

Helical piers work in a similar way. These piers are shaped like giant screws that are screwed into the ground so the building can rest on the piers. These piers are a little less disruptive to install, but they still require digging to a point where the screw can be driven into the ground.

As the building is lifted from its sunken position, cracks may come back together. Once the building position has been finalized, the foundation repair contractor may fill the cracks to further stabilize the foundation and keep water from leaking into the crack.

Steel Braces And Wall Anchors Fix Bowed Walls

Steel braces are installed inside your building. These are steel beams that butt up against the walls to prevent further bowing. The walls press against the beams so they can't keep moving.

The steel braces are exposed, so if it's important the wall has a more appealing appearance, your contractor might pour new concrete inside the building instead to create a new wall against the old one that's bowing.

Wall anchors are installed outdoors and on the inside of the foundation wall. The contractor drills a hole in the wall so a steel rod can be passed through the wall. The rod connects the two anchors. The outside anchor is driven in the ground so it latches onto the bar. The inside anchor is screwed to the wall and holds the bar in place.

When everything is set, the rod and anchor system can pull a bowed wall so it's a little straighter and holds it in place. Your contractor will probably install more than one set of anchors so the wall is held securely.

Consult with a contractor for help with foundation repair.