Robert Jones Posted November 29, 2011 Report Share Posted November 29, 2011 I typically see small dig out near the drain line where it exits the foundation. This one seems a bit much. The footer looks undermined. It was tough to get a good pic. 5 year old home. Click to Enlarge 64.93 KB Click to Enlarge 60.69 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted November 30, 2011 Report Share Posted November 30, 2011 Curious. Does the grade beam have plenty of height, or is it a shallow one? Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted November 30, 2011 Report Share Posted November 30, 2011 Hi Robert, I'd tell 'em that it would be a good idea to get it filled; only because sooner or later that ground against the foundation wall is going to slump into that hole and leave an ugly divot next to the foundation. With the amount of weight over that gap that the typical ranch or two-story foundation carries around here, I wouldn't be too concerned with the foundation unless I knew for a fact there wasn't any rebar in the footing and walls. With a 5-year old home that's pretty unlikely. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Meiland Posted November 30, 2011 Report Share Posted November 30, 2011 Looks like they're having the plumbers dig under the foundation to get their drain in after the concrete is done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bain Posted November 30, 2011 Report Share Posted November 30, 2011 Too, there's no way you could pack anything beneath that footer in a way that would actually support it--short of injecting concrete or something similarly expensive. I've seen partially undermined footers beneath 50-year-old houses and there were no problems at all. Having said that, however, you run the risk of a future inspector referring out to a structural engineer who's been inside a total of 20 crawlspaces during his lifetime. Since the footer doesn't look like the one in the textbook photo, you run the risk of exposure down the road. Which is why our jobs aren't much fun at times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dirks Jr Posted November 30, 2011 Report Share Posted November 30, 2011 Too, there's no way you could pack anything beneath that footer in a way that would actually support it--short of injecting concrete or something similarly expensive. I've seen partially undermined footers beneath 50-year-old houses and there were no problems at all. Having said that, however, you run the risk of a future inspector referring out to a structural engineer who's been inside a total of 20 crawlspaces during his lifetime. Since the footer doesn't look like the one in the textbook photo, you run the risk of exposure down the road. Which is why our jobs aren't much fun at times. Good call Bain. Have it filled in to prevent confusion down the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garet Posted December 1, 2011 Report Share Posted December 1, 2011 Too, there's no way you could pack anything beneath that footer in a way that would actually support it--short of injecting concrete or something similarly expensive. A mud-jacking contractor could easily fill a hole like that and it would support the footing just fine. That wouldn't add much cost if they were already there for other work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Fabry Posted December 1, 2011 Report Share Posted December 1, 2011 Am I the only guy that would suggest dumping two sacks of concrete mix in the hole? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Raymond Posted December 1, 2011 Report Share Posted December 1, 2011 No. That's exactly what I was thinking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bain Posted December 1, 2011 Report Share Posted December 1, 2011 Too, there's no way you could pack anything beneath that footer in a way that would actually support it--short of injecting concrete or something similarly expensive. A mud-jacking contractor could easily fill a hole like that and it would support the footing just fine. That wouldn't add much cost if they were already there for other work. What other work are you referring to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garet Posted December 1, 2011 Report Share Posted December 1, 2011 What other work are you referring to? Slab settlement is a near-epidemic problem in my area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted December 1, 2011 Report Share Posted December 1, 2011 It could go either the two-sacks-of-ready-mix way or the excavate-to-determine-the-size-of-the-cavity way, depending on whether Rob can see just how big the cavity is and whether there's load bearing capacity at the bottom of it. I'm more likely to recommend the latter if the grade beam is a shallow one. Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted December 2, 2011 Report Share Posted December 2, 2011 Am I the only guy that would suggest dumping two sacks of concrete mix in the hole? We call it "dry packing." Dump the grout in the hole and pack it with the end of a 2x4 much like a dentist packing amalgam into a filling. I recommend it every so often. On this one, I'd just toss some soil, pea gravel, or sand in the hole. It's not a structural concern, you just need something in there to take up space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted December 2, 2011 Report Share Posted December 2, 2011 .......you just need something in there to take up space. Great Stuff with a sprinkle of sand before the surface gets dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted December 2, 2011 Report Share Posted December 2, 2011 .......you just need something in there to take up space. Great Stuff with a sprinkle of sand before the surface gets dry. Actually, I don't see any reason why that wouldn't work just fine. I'd rather carry a can of great stuff down there then carry two bags of grout down there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibsonguy Posted December 2, 2011 Report Share Posted December 2, 2011 Am I the only guy that would suggest dumping two sacks of concrete mix in the hole? I second... or third... or fourth... depending on who's counting [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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