Foundation Repair Photo Album: St. Johns Business Gets New Support Column After Vehicle Collision

When a vehicle hit the front of this business a few years back, everything seemed relatively unharmed, but as time went by, the brick support column right alongside the front door began to crumble and deteriorate leaving the owner with a rather dire situation. Our team came to the rescue. We began by supporting the floor using Smart Jacks in the basement. SmartJacks are incredibly strong due to the their steel construction and their installation method which transfer the load above evenly and deep into the ground. We then created some temporary supports for the failing brick column. The column was then dismantled and rebuilt. The front of this business is now safe and supported. This problem had been building up for years but with just a few short hours of work, this business owner no longer had any reason to worry.

Buckling Wall Panels Show Signs Of Foundation Failure

The brick column behind the wall paneling was beginning to crumble years after a vehicle collision. With the paneling now buckling, it was getting harder to ignore the damage.

Close Inspection Of Column Shows Major Damage

This column was barely keeping it together at the base. The closer you look, the worse it gets. The best plan of action for this business was complete removal and replacement.

Steel Beams Span Several Joists, Evenly Distribute Support

Our team first supported the floor above with steel beams and SmartJacks. The steel beam spans several floor joists in width. This helps to lift the floor above consistently and evenly distribute the weight on the jacks.

SmartJacks Offer Incredible Support To The Floor Above

When these SmartJacks are installed, a cube of earth is removed from the area below. It's then replaced with compacted stone or concrete and the jack is placed above it. In doing this, the load that the jack supports is distributed evenly and is transferred deep past any troubled soil.

Temporary Supports Safeguard Building During Construction

Before the column can be removed, a strong temporary support is constructed out of wood and put in place. Temporary supports were placed outside the building as well.

New Column Provides Dependable Support For St Johns Business

The new column was built in place of the failing brick column. Once completed, the temporary supports could be removed and the walls repaired or replaced.