Helical Tie Back System Used To Secure Bowing Garage Wall In Traverse City, MI

Monday, June 19th, 2017 by Brian Bigger

Challenge

The back wall of a Traverse City garage was bowing. Large cracks in the poured concrete walls were just a symptom of a wall with about 10 inches of deflection. The garage was built into the side of a steep hill. The front of the garage was at the base of the hill but the back wall where the bowing occurred was almost completely underground. Ordinarily, wall anchors would be used to secure the wall and possibly improve the condition of the wall over time, however this requires some excavation on the exterior. In this case, the tight spaces around the side of the garage and the steep hill made excavation on the exterior highly difficult, if not impossible. The wall would have to be addressed completely from the inside.

Solution

In this case, we used a specialized approach. With a failing foundation we often use helical piers driven deep into the ground to competent soil to lift and secure. In this case, we just turned the helical piers sideways in a manner of speaking. Large holes were drilled into the wall and helical anchors were hydraulically driven through the wall and into the exterior soil to help support the wall, preventing any further bowing and allowing the possibility for a straightening of the wall over time. The cracks were sealed and the holes were patched. In many cases, this wouldn't be an option. It requires a lot of space to work and room in the yard, away from property lines to install but in this case, with the garage emptied. The helical tie back system was a perfect fit.