Problem:
The rear portion of this single story retail mall was settling.  The concrete foundation was cracking, masonry blocks were separating, and the roof gutters were not draining properly.  Furthermore, the concrete slab was cracked and settling down toward the rear of the property.         

Engineering Design:
Investigation into the original construction documents revealed the building was sitting upon drilled mini-piles.  The piles were cast into a pile caps and then grade beams supported the slab and building above.  It appeared one of the pile caps was settling, indicating some of the minipiles were failing.  An underpinning system consisting of high-capacity helical piers was utilized to stop the foundation settlement

Project Details: 
The foundation extended down to the ground water table, making the underpinning installations difficult.  Four high-capacity helical piers and underpinning brackets were utilized to stabilize the foundation.  The helical piles extended down to about 30 feet below the foundation.  The project was successfully completed in 3 working days.