Strengthening Foundations Using Helicals

Foundation problems may result in high repair and maintenance costs, possible dangerous conditions, increasing structural damage and collateral damage to surrounding structures or property. A great solution to achieve a strong foundation can be helical piles which your Bay Area foundation drilling company can install expertly.

Strength in Foundation is Key

The value of a strong and stable foundation for every residential and commercial structure can’t be overstated. As David Allan Coe said, “It is not the beauty of a building you should look at; it’s the construction of the foundation that will stand the test of time.” Foundation problems may result in high repair and maintenance costs, possible dangerous conditions, increasing structural damage and collateral damage to surrounding structures or property. A great solution to achieve a strong foundation can be helical piles which your Bay Area foundation drilling company can install expertly.

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How Do We Use Concrete in Landscaping and Building Construction?

Concrete is one of our most common building materials. It comes in various forms depending on the job, but is incredibly versatile and with proper care can last decades.

Concrete a Foundational Material in Construction Work

Concrete and cement are often used interchangeably, but they are different. Continue reading “How Do We Use Concrete in Landscaping and Building Construction?”

Lassiter Earns PG&E Operator Qualification

We are pleased to announce that Lassiter Excavating, Inc. has completed the training and met the qualifications for the PG&E Operator Qualification (OQ) that allows us to operate as a contractor on jobs that involve PG&E facilities.

PG&E Now Requires Operator Qualification to Work on Their Facilities

Contractors and project owners are invited to view our certificate, which contains a QR code that opens the record of our completion of all the training requirements:Continue reading “Lassiter Earns PG&E Operator Qualification”

Three Steps to Prepare Your Home Foundation for the Rainy Season

Your foundation supports your entire home. Inspect it annually for cracks and other damage.

With the Northern California winter season arriving in October, as a homeowner you should take some steps to prepare your foundation to survive the colder, wetter weather. Your foundation is quite literally the base for your home’s entire structure, supporting everything inside your home. Make it an annual habit to review where your foundation stands and how the stress of winter rains and water flow may impact it.Make a visual inspection Continue reading “Three Steps to Prepare Your Home Foundation for the Rainy Season”

How to Choose an Excavation Contractor

When you choose a builder, landscaper or pool company, you also are choosing numerous other sub-contractors that will work in conjunction with the primary contractor you have chosen. This is especially true when heavy excavation or drilling is part of the project. Few contractors do this type of work themselves (in-house) because the equipment investment is very high, and the training needed get it done efficiently and safely make it prohibitive for contractor to do it themselves.

Landscapers Often Use Excavation and Drilling Specialists

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Using Piers and Piles to Shore Up Sagging Foundations

Pier drilling and pile driving are techniques used for driving pier or piles into the ground underneath a structure to shore up sinking or sagging building foundations, bringing them back to their proper level and preventing further foundation settlement.

Also called “piering,” this method involves the use of strategically placed mechanical jacks to slowly and carefully lift the settled foundation beam to grade. Once raised, the beam is held to elevation by attaching it firmly to the piers.

There are two common types of foundation piers: Continue reading “Using Piers and Piles to Shore Up Sagging Foundations”

How to Winterize Your Home Foundation

With our winter season arriving, as a homeowner you should take some steps to winterize your foundation against the colder, wetter weather. This is not something you should overlook, as the foundation of your home is literally the base for the entire structure which rests upon it, supporting everything inside your home. Here are some tips that will help prepare your home’s foundation for winter. Continue reading “How to Winterize Your Home Foundation”

Construction Site Excavation Safety Steps

Excavation and trenching are naturally hazardous construction operations, and contractors need to take all the appropriate steps to ensure worker safety. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines an excavation as “any man-made cut, cavity, trench, or depression in the earth’s surface formed by earth removal.” A trench, in particular, is defined as “a narrow underground excavation that is deeper than it is wide, and is no wider than 15 feet (4.5 meters).”

When we approach any excavation, drilling or demolition job we keep safety first, starting with the planning for the job. It is not just the possibility of the sides of an excavated plot or trench collapsing. Safety planning also must accommodate the interaction of our people and the machines they need to employ to carry out the job, and the terrain on which those machines must operate. Continue reading “Construction Site Excavation Safety Steps”

Helical Anchor Installation Relies Upon Accurate Torque Measurements

Helical anchors enjoy widespread use today to help stabilize and secure above-ground structures, especially when that structure is built on ground that may be or has become unstable. The anchors themselves are steel shafts with helical coils or plates welded on at an angle. The shafts are screwed into the soil beneath the foundation to a depth that enables the coil to support the load. When foundation drilling calls for helical anchors, the depth of the anchor is drilled into the ground is determined by precisely measuring the torque it takes to turn the anchor. Generally, the higher the torque value the more stable the soil. This gives soil and structural engineers an accurate indication of the load-bearing capacity of the helical anchors. Continue reading “Helical Anchor Installation Relies Upon Accurate Torque Measurements”