Foundation Inspections Denver CO

1. Site Factors: Observe site factors affecting the structure such as slope, drainage, rock, or nearby activities such as blasting.

2. Construction: Identify construction type, materials, sequence of construction – the history of the site, the foundation, and its construction details.

3. Defects of Occurrence: Observe defects of occurrence – things that have happened to the structure such as signs of movement, history, other clues. A foundation crack, foundation movement, foundation lean or foundation bulge, or foundation damage due to impact, frost, or point loads are all defects of occurrence. Damage that occurs to foundations is organized according to several viewpoints.

4. Defects of Omission: Observe defects of omission – things that have been left-out or removed (harder to spot) such as possible absence of supporting posts, piers, footings, or other critical components. Defects of omission are not an event that happened to a foundation, but rather things that were forgotten or removed, such as omitting footings or removing a supporting Lally column in a building.

5. Evaluate Observations: Evaluate the information which has been collected (history, observations, clues), visual evidence of their impact on the structure, and their importance. Any building inspector, building contractor, masonry repair contractor, or carpenter needs to be able to recognize when additional expert evaluation or repair is needed by a foundation or structural engineer or foundation repair specialist.

All of these people are called-on to make first-level inspections and to form opinions about all sorts of building components. Often very simple non-engineering analysis can be helpful or even essential in deciding when more expert help is needed. Examples include simply making a measurement to establish that a foundation wall has moved or is leaning.

6. Report Observations & Make Foundation Repair Recommendations: Communicate the observations and recommendations to the client with clarity so that the client understands the implications of the findings and the need for action (if any).

7. Repair the Damaged Foundation: Depending on the condition of the foundation system, repairs may be needed, and in emergency cases such as the threat of imminent collapse, other measures such as installation of temporary foundation support, or even evacuating an unsafe structure and keeping people away from it could be in order. An example is the discovery of a bulged structural brick wall – a condition that can cause sudden catastrophic building collapse.

If you need help from Colorado’s Best Structural Specialists contact us at (720) 202-7015 or email info@pinnaclestructuralservices.com to schedule a FREE inspection.