If the foundation footing is broken and the reason for the crack on the foundation wall, back-filling isn't going to fix anything and the weight of the fill might only exacerbate the underlying problem for the cracked wall. I'd wager an easy to lose 5 bucks that foundation was built on fill, which can take decades to settle if not tamped down during the fill process. Backfilling might help with keeping the broken foundation wall in a vertical plane though, at least short term.
Agteed, backfilling alone isn't the long term solution. Adding fill to reduce the outward pressure from the load of the fill below the floor, the floor concrete and floor loading would help stabilize it in place if the issue is strictly with the strength of the wall and not the foundation itself. We often see collapses like this do to the fact that walls are not designed as retaining walls but simply as a basement wall.
Lol....yeah that "tiny" crack gave it away. I've seen cracks like this develop even when there is reinforcing. But that also means the concrete has spalled away from around the rebar and we don't see that here.
Can't resist my 2 cents... a cheap way to maybe save that corner might be to do a more substantial steel corner, similar to what you already did, but heavier steel (1/2"). Both sides of the wall and then thru bolted snug. Maybe air blast the crack out, and then fill it, bottom to top, with that Flex paste goop (or something like it). For me, if the remaining foundation isn't in much better shape, I wouldn't spend any more $ on that corner. That's juz me...
Looks like we are not shoring it now, I typed out a post the other day that added thru bolting with a 6X6 galv plate on the inside and sealing the crack to add to huskihl's solution...Must not have hit post reply. But Stinny gave pretty much the same advice! If you want a cribbing detail, I can surely give you one.
Some sort of steel tying wall a to wall b. But to access it and to allow them to be pulled together the floor and dirt inside need removed.
Yep, cut floor, remove gravel/soil, somehow get wall back as close as possible to plumb, clean crack inside and out, caulk/ seal as best as possible, plate the outside, 6x6 plate at each thru bolt on the inside, backfill with gravel in lifts as suggested, repair removed slab and all is good (maybe)! This should hold better than the original fix. I was agreeing 100% with your suggestion!
Yep I know you were. Was trying to convey to others that the walls had dirt filled to near the top and then a concrete floor in case it wasn’t known. I don’t think there’s a cheap fix
If a customer sent this to me, I would do the following. Inspect the slab for settling or rising, cracks and separation from the walls. Inspect the walls for cracks and settling. After inspecting slab, drill 1" diameter holes through the slab in the areas with the most settling and drive a 3/4" D pin into the ground below the slab. If the D pin drives easily, the fill was not compacted properly. From the pictures, I don't see cracking of the walls back from corner. If the top of the walls at the corner with the crack are still at the same elevation as the other 3 corners of the building then your footer has not settled. A likely cause of the walls pushing is freezing of the ground under the slab. Proper reinforcing that wraps around the corner could have prevented this as well as backfilling with an open graded stone that doesn't expand when frozen. Another possibility is expansive soil or fill used under the slab. Slag from foundries is often used as cheap fill but over time expands. I've fixed a few of these. Your band aid solution is an attempt to do what the rebar would have done. If the walls have not settled, or only settled slightly and there are no cracks in the walls, I would do a longer version of what you started with. Probably 2"x2"x 1/4" galvanized angle 10' long attached to each wall with long heavy Tapcons at 12" on center. Overlap at the corner and bolt together with 3/4" grade 8 structural bolts. Start 6" down from the top and then 12" on center down to grade. I'm not a structural engineer but I have helped a few of them figure out cost effective solutions to structural problems.
Thanks. Been in commercial construction 40+ years. Made a few mistakes and saw a lot of other ones. Just passing on my experiences.
Ill have to dig around to see if there is a footing under there. The wall that is slabbing off, is definitely moving out, not down. No foundation elevation changes anywhere at this point. The slab is not pinned to the foundation, and zero rebar at the corners. The floor has a pretty good pitch to it, volume wise roughly equivalent to the distance the wall moving out. To wit, the floor that is pitching is about half the floor, or less, and on the same.side as the foundation bit that is movimg, and pitched toward the side that is moving....the whole floor is not settling, nor evenly that which is. It is intriguing as to what might be inside, under the floor. If I can metal the foundation as you suggest, and then back fill with gravel, ive thought about pulling part of the floor up to re pour. To just add-to-level would leave some pretty thin concrete in places....which would crack and peel up i suspect. Sca
