Structural Support

Structural Support

There are times when a fuel oil tank has a severe leak and causes a severe problem through migration of the contamination under a home or other type of building. When this occurs, structural supports are necessary to adequately remove the contamination if excavation is the selected remedial option. Marksmen Enterprises, LLC specializes in all methods of structural support for safe and effective removal of contaminated soil.

The process begins by conducting a soil delineation to determine how far the contamination has traveled both vertically and horizontally. The data obtained from the investigation is plotted and mapped as part of the structural engineering process. The most cost effective selected remedy is then chosen from the structural support options of helical pier systems, structural steel beams, and underpinnings. An explanation of each of these distinct ways of engineering structures for support can be found on other pages of our site. Once the type of support method has been selected, detailed, scaled structural engineering drawings are created by a Licensed Professional Engineer and permits are acquired from the appropriate municipality. When permits are approved from the local construction department of the town or city, the work commences and continues until the project is completed.

Marksmen Enterprises, LLC’s vast knowledge of structural support for oil tank remediation can be put to work for you.

Helical Piers

So just what are helical piers. A helical pier acts like the anchor of a boat and prevents movement of the structure above. Each helical pier is a segmented deep foundation system with helical bearing plates that are welded to a central steel shaft. A helical bearing plate or helix as it is known, is one pitch of a screw thread. Being a true helical shape, the helices do not auger into the soil but rather screw into it with minimal soil disturbance which creates the anchor effect. The pier is extended deeper using shaft extensions that are joined with bolted couplings. Helical pier installation depth is limited only by soil density and the necessary depth needed to conduct the remediation based on the soil delineation mapping. Load is transferred from the shaft to the soil through the helical bearing plates. Once installed, the weight of the structure is then transferred from the building’s foundation to the pier shaft utilizing a specialized underpinning bracket.

A Helical Pulldown® Micropile is a combination helical pier and grouted steel-cased pile that provides better resistance to buckling, and is used in compression applications where dense/hard soil conditions must be penetrated with softer/loose soils above the bearing strata. The Helical Pulldown® Micropile also is used in remedial situations when soil must be excavated from around the pier shaft (such as soil contaminated from a leaking heating oil tank).

The A B Chance Company, division of Hubbell Power Systems, manufactures our helical pier equipment with Licensed Professional Engineering Services provided by David B. Johnson, LLC.

Steel Beams

A steel beam structural support, as the name implies, supports a building in place using a coordinated system of steel beams, channels or angles. Structural steel beam sizes vary depending on the weight of the structure being supported and the area to excavate determine by the soil delineation conducted prior to structural method selection. The steel beams are placed below the framing or pinned to the foundation of the structure, and supported using a combination of lumber cribbing, temporary footings, and/or helical piers and micropiles. Once the steel beams are in place and the structural load has been transferred, excavating work commences, usually preceded by removal of portions of the foundation walls, floors, etc. to gain access to contaminated areas. This method of structural support provides excellent access for use of heavy equipment at building interiors when soil contamination has traveled that distance.

Full restoration services are provided by qualified personnel to complete each project, including masonry, rough carpentry, siding, roofing, insulation, drywall, finish carpentry, flooring, decks, chimneys, site-work, and more. Plumbing and electrical services are provided as needed by licensed professionals.

Underpin

Let’s define underpinning for structural support. Foundation underpinning is a process of undermining or digging a small section at a time under an existing foundation, creating a form within that void, adding a steel cage to the area for future added strength, filling the area with concrete, and then moving on to another section or underpin as we call it, until a new super footing has been created under the existing foundation in the area excavated.

Underpinning a house or other structure, whether slab on grade foundation underpinning or basement underpinning is an excellent structural support method for soil contamination removal when the depth of the proposed excavation is manageable or when the contaminated soil is not excessive.

Full restoration services are provided by qualified personnel to complete each project, including masonry, rough carpentry, insulation, drywall, finish carpentry, flooring, chimneys, site-work, and more.