Brazos Valley Solutions LLC believes there are important questions you should have answered before you select your foundation inspector. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have.
Why does Brazos Valley Solutions LLC (BVS) not advertise that the ProMax piling system is FHA, VA, & HUD approved?
BVS only deals in actual true facts. FHA, VA, & HUD "DO NOT" approve of any method. What they do approve of is any repair in which a Professional Engineer signs off as acceptable and places the PE seal which is dated and signed. Basically companies that advertise that their products are approved by FHA, VA, and HUD know this and are misleading readers. The ad should read, "Approved by FHA, VA, & HUD when certified by a professional engineer."Various handouts by other companies show the piling system tumbling and askew. Does that really happen?
No. The law of physics tells us that once an object enters a mass the next object follows the pathway of less resistance. Plus as the case of a pressed piling, it is pressed into the soil with 20K lbs. of force which compresses the soils around the piling holding it in place. The driving of additional pilings adds more pressure on the piling column thus preventing lateral movement. Once the piling column is driven into a load barring strata of dense soil/rock/clay it becomes a point load column. The pressed piling product was patented in 1982 and to date more homes have been repaired with it than the next two products (steel piers and drilled piers). If they tumbled or were askew one would think that someone would have photographic evidence. Ask our competitors for their photo evidence.What about the void under the slab once it has been lifted?
Void filling commonly referred to as mud jacking/pressure grouting/polymeric injection should only be done when the soil/clays under the slab have reached the max PVR (potential of vertical rise) during maximum hydration of the under lying soils/clays. The reason is that when the soils become hydrated they will expand and the void under the slab allows them to expand naturally. If a contractor wants to fill the void under the slab, ask them if they will be responsible for damage should the soil rehydrate, expand, and damage other areas of your foundation and write it into the contract. Polymeric injection per the International Concrete Repair Institute, should always be preformed under the supervision of a licensed Professional Engineer and an experienced grouting engineer. Request to see the licensee of all installersWhat is the weight load capacity of the piling column?
140 Kips, a kip is the unit of deadweight used primarily by American architects and engineers to measure engineering loads. 1 kip is equal to 1,000 lbs.What do local consulting engineers that evaluate foundations recommend in their reports?
The following is from a Gessner Engineering report: "Underpinning is recommended for this building foundation. This foundation stabilization and adjustment can be accomplished with driven piles, drilled piers, or helical piles. All methods, when installed correctly, can provide sufficient bearing capacity to support the foundation and provide some lifting. The foundation need not be lifted to a perfectly flat condition. Instead, the contractor shall lift with the goal of bringing the foundation within deflection and/or tilt tolerance. Depending on the degree of lift required and the condition of the finish materials, the foundation contractor may elect to stop short of the goal. The intent of the underpinning is to provide a more stable foundation system by limiting the range of movement the foundation experiences."
Brazos Valley Solutions LLC
Serving College Station, Bryan, Texas and Surrounding Communities
Bryan/College Station 979.739.8288
Metro DFW 469.358.2426
[email protected]