Barn's Failing Foundation Repaired In Eagle, MI

Tuesday, September 26th, 2017 by Brian Bigger

Challenge

The owner of this nearly 100 year old barn wanted to be able to pass the structure on to his children, however, there were some very serious concerns that needed to be addressed. The barn had a partial stone and a partial block foundation. The stone was crumbling in many places and the back portion of the barn was sinking leaving large cracks in the block. Some structural reinforcement was needed to ensure that the barn didn't sink any further and to be sure that the upper floor would remain sufficiently supported.

Solution

The solution was three-fold. First, SmartJacks helped to support the floor above. These were installed under the center beam in the lower level of the barn. A cube of earth was removed in each SmartJack location and was filled with compacted stone. The galvanized steel jack was installed over the stone creating a system where the load is distributed deep into the ground. These jacks can support an incredible amount of weight. The next step towards supporting this barn was installing helical piers under the sinking portion of the barn to lift and support the structure permanently. These piers were drilled deep into the ground until they reached competent soil that could support the weight of the structure. On the top of the piers, steel foundation brackets sit right up under the footing of the structure to prevent any further settlement. Finally, since the stone walls can't be repaired by simply replacing a block, the best way to rebuild the walls is through Shotcrete. Concrete and compressed air combine so that wet cement can be sprayed through a fire hose onto the surface of the wall, essentially creating a new wall in front of the old. Wire mesh on the wall helps the concrete to adhere and the force of the cement coming from the hose both places and compacts that concrete at the same to time to create an incredibly strong structure. This barn will now survive for many years to come, perhaps even another 100 years.

Project Summary

Product Installed: Shotcrete

Product Installed: SmartJacks

Product Installed: Helical Piers

Primary Foreman: Michael Roman

SmartJacks down the center of the lower level support the floor above with incredible strength.

Helical piers, two on either side of the sinking end of this barn, permanently lift and support the foundation. Signs of settlement are clear with large stair-step cracks in the block foundation.

The stone foundation walls were crumbling in several places.

The walls were prepared for spray concrete or Shotcrete by creating forms around the ceiling and windows and attaching wire mesh to the walls to help strengthen the new wall and help it stick to the walls.

Wet concrete is combined with compressed air and sprayed through a fire hose creating an incredibly strong new wall on the surface of the crumbling foundation walls.