Pier drilling is an effective way to provide a strong and secure foundation for a Bay Area structure, especially in areas where the ground is less stable. As its name suggests, pier drilling consists of creating a shaft in the ground which is bored with specialized machinery, after which it is usually filled with concrete to add strength and stability to the foundation. This kind of drilling or excavation can be at normal depths or it can involve deep foundation drilling, when extra depth is needed to reach stable ground for a larger structure.
Straight Piers vs. Bell Piers
Straight Piers
In this type of pier drilling, a dirt augur is often used to bore straight down into ground which may contain natural obstacles or is simply very hard drilling to get through. It is sometimes necessary to drill to a depth where a favorable geologic zone exists for installation of the pier, otherwise drilling depth is generally pre-determined by foundation requirements. With straight piers, the load-bearing capacity may be sourced almost entirely at the end bearing (the bottom of the shaft), or there may also be some load-bearing capacity developed by side-wall friction, if the soil is suitable for that.
Bell Piers
This kind of pier drilling is used when it is necessary to provide a great deal of support to a very large structure on the ground surface. It starts out much like a straight pier, but when the desired depth is reached, an additional tool with expandable wings is used at the bottom of the shaft to hollow out a greater area. This gives it the bell shape, and it creates a pier which can provide greatly increased load capacity to the structure above.
Contact a Bay Area Pier Drilling Company Today
If you have a need for deck piers to support your new outdoor deck, or if you need footing piers, or any other kind of pier to provide a solid foundation for your new structure, the company with the most experience and professionalism in the Bay Area is Lassiter Excavating, Inc. There is no more skilled or reliable team for bay area pier drilling in the entire region, and customer satisfaction is something which the Lassiter team takes very seriously. Call us today at (925) 449-3112 or visit our website here to discuss your pier drilling project, and to obtain an estimate of the kind of work and cost which might be needed for it.