Mike Lamb Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 This 1972 home has a basement that does not show signs of flooding. There is a small adjacent crawlspace that is about 4 feet above the basement floor with a dirt gravel floor that has two square holes cut in the foundation at opposite sides apparently to let water drain in or out of it. On one side of this crawlspace about a foot of soil has washed away from beneath the foundation wall. There is an attached garage here so water has been running beneath the garage slab. The foundation has buckled. Anyway, beneath this washed out foundation are to wood piers about 8 inches thick. They are not rotted to speak of. They would have to be from some previous construction. Any thoughts on these wooden piers? Click to Enlarge 44.03 KB Click to Enlarge 40.95 KB Click to Enlarge 78.83 KB Click to Enlarge 78.47 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Whitmore Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 This 1972 home has a basement that does not show signs of flooding. There is a small adjacent crawlspace that is about 4 feet above the basement floor with a dirt gravel floor that has two square holes cut in the foundation at opposite sides apparently to let water drain in or out of it. Perhaps they were planning for future ductwork, or the concrete guys weren't sure what they were installing for a heat source?? That's my guess in regards to the gap @ the garage stem wall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Whitmore Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 Are you sure soil washed away, or did it get moist and compact over time? They may have poured on top of soil that wasn't compacted or some wood may have rotted beneath the footings, allowing the soil to drop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 I've got a few thoughts, maybe. Where's it at? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lamb Posted August 9, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 There is sort of a cavern passageway under the garage slab which is why I say water was flowing. I'd also say the foundation has buckled. This is in Palos Hills, a SW Chgo suburb, which I am told used to be a flood plain but is no longer. Click to Enlarge 53.5 KB Click to Enlarge 34.18 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Amaral Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 Looks like a pile Mike.... anyway.. 'B-A-D" of course.. ..A pile with the top exposed can rot and get short... thus the horizontal cracks.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted August 9, 2013 Report Share Posted August 9, 2013 Looks like a pile Mike.... anyway.. 'B-A-D" of course.. ..A pile with the top exposed can rot and get short... thus the horizontal cracks.. I'm with Rob...pilings to support the grade beam. For some reason, someone thought it a good idea to install a few or perhaps there's many, before the pour. Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted August 10, 2013 Report Share Posted August 10, 2013 This is in Palos Hills, a SW Chgo suburb, which I am told used to be a flood plain but is no longer. Old Palos Hills has some strange water stuff. Once a flood plain, always a flood plain, isn't it? I don't think you can rezone or legislatively make a flood plain not a flood plain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kogel Posted August 10, 2013 Report Share Posted August 10, 2013 We discussed this before, or maybe it was somewhere else. Creosote poles driven into a swamp, capped with concrete, then topped with a house. As they dry out the swamp, the soil drops away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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