Concrete Pier Foundation

Concrete Pier Foundation Services in Ottawa, ON

Concrete pier foundations will not only save money, but time as well because they do not need extensive excavation or a lot of concrete. A simple pier foundation often resemble those that are used for residential decks. If the building site is steeply sloped, has unusual soil, or if the house has unusually high loads, then an engineered foundation will be needed.

Disturbing soil as little as possible

Pier foundations are not like the conventional concrete walls and footings, as they support structural loads at various points and not continuously. Pier foundations can be as easy as just having cardboard tubes that are filled with concrete in hand dug holes. The more complex that a foundation is, determines if it will have helical screws or very deep piers that will be able to support heavier loads. To some builders who are going green, a great advantage is opting to go with a pier foundation as they barely disrupt the native soil environment. Excavation is able to be done with a shovel, and any of the existing soil organisms and roots remain basically undisturbed. At the end of the useful life of the building, it will be easier to restore to a natural state than a building site that has a full basement.

Creation starts in the Soil

The size and number of the piers will depend on how much weight that the underlying soil is able to handle. The standard design load that is in the International Residential Code assumes a 40lb live load. A dead load is normally calculated at 10-15 lbs per square foot, depending on the construction materials that are used.

Nepean Cement Works is ready and able to meet any of your concrete pier foundation needs for your large and small scale projects. If you would like more information, or to request an estimate, call us today.