Commercial Heave Remediation
Heave is a commonly occurring phenomenon in areas where clay-rich soils constitute a large portion of the overall soil composition. Expansive clay soils damage commercial and residential structures over time by expanding in wet conditions and contracting in dry conditions. As this process occurs, the soil beneath a building's foundation grows and shrinks, exerting uplift forces on the structure's foundation. Lab tests have demonstrated that expanding clay soil can exert an uplift pressure of over 5000lbs. per sq. ft. - more than enough to lift a concrete slab.
Heave Remediation Applications
- Diagnosing a Heave Issue: The symptoms of heave are often quite similar to those of foundation settlement, which occurs as a foundation sinks gradually into the soil below. While the symptoms are similar, the solutions for each are quite different - the typical underpinning solution applied to structures with settlement issues is counterproductive to a heave issue caused by expansive soils. If the cause of the damage is misdiagnosed, and an improper solution is applied, the root cause of the issue will not be remedied and damages will continue to develop. A NO Dealers has decades of experience in heave remediation techniques, and our field teams are expertly trained to determine the cause of a structure's foundation damages. Clients can be certain that we will properly diagnose a heave issue, and prescribe the proper solution to prevent future damages.
- Sub-Slab Moisture Mitigation: As moisture accumulates in the clay soil beneath a structure's foundation, the clay expands in all directions as its volume grows. As it's not simply the soil beneath the structure that expands, but all the soil surrounding the structure as well, this excess volume has but one direction to move - upward onto the underside of the concrete slab. This pressure is known as uplift, and without a proper sub-slab moisture mitigation system, a structure's foundation is susceptible to cracking, chipping, spalling, and various forms of deterioration.
Commercial Heave Remediation Solutions
A NO Dealers has pioneered a moisture remediation solution proven to mitigate the effects of soil heave. The MoistureLevel Smart Foundation System borrows from our radon mitigation technologies, using a fan and plastic exhaust piping to create air movement and exert suction forces on the under-slab soil. Introducing outside air to the damp soil causes evaporation to occur, allowing the condensed vapor to be removed in the form of liquid water:
Our experts are ready to give you the help you need. With decades of experience in heave remediation, we are Arizona's go-to professionals for permanently alleviating uplift forces on commercial structures caused by expansive soils.
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