The mighty warrior Achilles was almost unbeatable against any opponent. He was one of the strongest of the Greek army besieging Troy. But, he had but one weakness: his heel. A single point of vulnerability left Achilles helpless when struck there, and he fell and was soon killed. Thus, from legend is learned the lesson that strength is nothing if it cannot stand solidly.
The same thing can be said of a building. No matter how well constructed the rest of the structure may be, all that structural strength is for nothing if the foundations the building rests on are weak or have been compromised. While shoddy construction has proven a cause of weak foundations, shifting or saturated ground undermines a supporting foundation that otherwise was well constructed. Such a result is attributable, in some cases, to a failure to properly survey the ground beforehand or to an unexpected shift or water infiltration in the soil. In either case, the foundation is faced with imminent failure as a result of suddenly losing the very ground it was built on, and the entire building structure could be compromised as a result.
Professional Foundation Services in Hawaii often have to deal with cases involving the latter situation causing sub-base failure. In such event, engineers apply a process known as GMS Stabilization. This is an expansive clay stabilizer agent that can be directly injected into clay and adobe soils as well as those subjected to water infiltration. Holes are drilled through the earthen, concrete, or asphalt surface, and the agent pressure-injected until it expands into and mixes with the substance of the soil. Eventually, when it solidifies, the ground is compacted and stable enough to fully support the foundation.
Once the ground has been properly stabilized, work can then proceed on the actual foundation repair. Cracks and buckling in the foundation surface are re-leveled, and all gaps are filled with the Urutek expanding polymer grout. After it solidifies, the foundation is as good as new. The building is then stabilized and past any danger of settling or collapsing.
Visit the Website for Structural Systems to find out more about the complete range of concrete and foundation contracting services offered. Since 1985, the company has provided professional Foundation Services in Hawaii for residential, commercial, and civil clients. Contact them today for a consultation. You can also visit them on Facebook.
