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Why Are Homes Sinking Into the Soil in Texas

Wed 18 Mar 2009 - 08:18

Why Are Homes Sinking Into the Soil in Texas
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Craig_R._Powers]Craig R. Powers

There seems to be an issue in Texas with homes sinking into the soil once they are built. Even over time homes that once seemed stable have started to sink. So why is this? What is causing this very frustrating issue? It's frustrating because it leads to cracked foundations. Sometimes the damage can go beyond the foundation and affect the walls of the home.

The main issue that is a contributing factor is the building of homes and other structures on reclaimed ranchland and farmland. The soils on these lands are for agriculture. Building requires much more stable ground. When land has been farmed for long periods of time, it has been plowed, planted, harvested, and plowed again so much that it becomes soft. The loosened soil can extend many feet into the ground before stable ground is reached. These are called expansive soils and they threaten the structural integrity of homes if homes are built upon these soils.

Because cities in Texas are expanding, they are encroaching upon urban areas that were once used for farming. As the population grows, this is becoming more prevalent. This is especially an issue in the Blackland Prairie area where there are expansive or shifting soils. The city of Hutto sits in this area and is becoming a quickly growing city. It is being built on an area that was known for cotton farming and ranching and its urbanization is very recent.

Expansive soil is causing billions of dollars in damage in the United States, with Texas being one of the most affected areas. This is because these soils can expand by up to 30% when it has absorbed water. What this does is create a lot of pressure on concrete structures. The pressure that is generated has been measured to be as high as 15,000 pounds per square foot. What happens is the foundation heaves when it is wet and then it sinks when dry. Because of this the damage can be quite extensive.

According to the document "Foundations in Expansive Soils," the foundations and walls of residential structures are those that are affected the most. It doesn't matter if the building is one story, two story, or if it is pavement. There are four types of damage that occurs. Those types of damages are doming heave and edge heave. The doming heave is when an upward swelling of the soil occurs. This is something that happens over a period of years. The edge heave is the second type and is the type that tends to occur in areas where there are leaks or areas in which water tends to stand. This is when dry soil suddenly becomes wet. The third type is the cyclic heave, which is a cycle of expansion and contraction of the soil over time. The fourth type is lateral movement, which is where retaining walls and basement walls can bulge and fracture.

Fortunately, there are engineers and construction companies that are able to engineer foundations that do not succumb to the expansion and shifting of soil. They are able to construct new foundations that will withstand the changes and can repair foundations that have become damaged so that individuals can live in homes built upon the many soil types in Texas.

Craig Powers is the owner & CEO of Power Jack Foundation Repair, a Texas-based residential foundation repair company serving Dallas/ Fort Worth, and the greater DFW since 1991. For more information on foundation repair services check out http://www.PJFR.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Craig_R._Powers http://EzineArticles.com/?Why-Are-Homes-Sinking-Into-the-Soil-in-Texas&id=2091231


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