How to Use Wood and Concrete to Construct a Building

As a foundation repair contractor, keeping abreast with new technology in the industry is a critical part of running a successful foundation repair business. The reason is that the causes of foundation problems are not always as straightforward as most contractors would want to believe. For instance, with traditional foundation repair techniques, it is difficult to effectively manage down-drag forces, water drainage and unwanted plant growth. The drawbacks are usually costly and of safety concern to your clients and your foundation repair firm. Having knowledge and access to the latest foundation repair technology provides a competitive advantage to your business. This article highlights some of the advancements in foundation repair. 

Friction Reduction Pile Sleeve

When using reinforced earth wall as a foundation stabilisation technique, the backfill on one side of the wall places additional weight on the underlying soils. This often leads to downdrag forces which consequently results in erroneous and unnecessary construction mitigation techniques. A friction reduction pile sleeve is a new technology that helps to prevent the problem. The unique expertise helps reduce down-drag significantly by creating a slip plane between the backfill wall and existing abutment piles.

Abrasion Resistant Anti-Friction Coating

Coating piles with bitumen before driving them into the ground is the traditional way of preventing downdraught. However, bitumen is expensive, unreliable and requires skilled labour due to its hazardous nature. Moreover, under high temperatures, it can be challenging to maintain bitumen on the piles surface. Manufacturers have come up with an epoxy-based silicone anti-friction coating that works better than bitumen. Unlike the former, the anti-friction coating is easy to apply using standard equipment. Additionally, you can quickly clean the coating using water without worrying about contaminating the soil with toxic materials. Once the coating has bonded to the pile, the slip plane reduces friction, thereby enhancing penetration and extraction during foundation repair.

Porous Sealant

One of the main challenges that contractors, like those at Harman Contracting Pty Ltd, face with reinforced earth walls is preventing plant growth between panel joints while maintaining unhindered water drainage. The traditional material for such sealing has been cement or grout, and while these keep plant growth at bay, they don't allow underground water to drain freely. Recent advancement in technology has given rise to porous sealants that not only prevent seed germination, but also allow water to flow through. The foundation repair technology prevents foundation problems as a result of water accumulation from plumbing leakages.