Sinkhole remediation companies get called out by individuals to evaluate the state of their home and property to determine if there is a sinkhole present. If there is enough evidence for sinkhole activity, the sinkhole with have to be filled and the house on the property might need to be stabilized with underpinning. Spring Hill residents need to understand that when a sinkhole is present, a home can sustain damage from a number of factors such as the shrinking and swelling of clay mediums, poor soil compaction, improper footer embedment, or even soil erosion. The main function of underpinning is to support and stabilize the structures load by transferring weight from weaker soil onto the underpins.
Installing Underpins on a Home
Once a sinkhole has been confirmed to be located on a property, sinkhole remediators cannot just start trying to fix the home with underpinning. A Geotechnical Engineer would have to posses a repair design that needs to be approved by others as appropriate and safe. Hydraulic presses are used to drive underpins deeper into limestone layer and is stopped once the underpinning cannot go any further and starts lifting up the structure it is trying to stabilize. Usually underpins are made out of strong materials such as steel. With underpinning, Spring Hill residents can usually expect a normal remediation to take somewhere between four and six weeks.
Why Should I Consider Underpinning for my Home?
Sinkhole remediation is one of the biggest instances where a home would consider utilizing underpinning but there are other instances where underpinning is acceptable. Besides sinkhole underpinning, Spring Hill residents might want to consider underpinning if they want to add an additional room or rooms to their home. This is especially true if you want to build up, and add another floor to your home. Underpinning is good for stabilizing foundations and securing the conditions below the surface to prevent other disasters from occurring later.
*Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of *Sinkhole Titan*
