leaning foundation wall (O/T)

Grass Roots Farmer · Apr 1, 2010

I have a small run-in barn, fairly old, with one form-poured-concrete wall which is leaning out. The poured wall is about 2-3' high and sits on some medium rocks which probably were put in the bottom of a trench, the bottom of which is about 12 below grade. Short of redoing the whole thing properly, I was thinking of undercutting the inside portion of the wall below the lowest rocks and using some braces and jacks to coax the wall vertical. ( I might need to move it 2" at the top.) If I can move the wall back into place, I was going to make a form and pour some concrete under the adjusted foundation.

I had noticed that all 4 of the posts on the open side of the barn were leaning (and the bottoms rotten), so this took me back to the source of the post problem--the foundation wall.

Crazy? or might it work?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Adirondack case guy · Apr 1, 2010

It's a matter of time and money Do it wright in respect to frost penitration and treated posts that are rated for ground contact and you will be all right. Sounds like the guy who built this lacked money and knowledge. You seam to be travling down the same path. Two wrongs don't make a wright!

Adirondack case guy · Apr 1, 2010

It's a matter of time and money Do it wright in respect to frost penitration and treated posts that are rated for ground contact and you will be all right. Sounds like the guy who built this lacked money and knowledge. You seam to be travling down the same path. Two wrongs don't make a wright!

Ed the wine farmer · Apr 1, 2010

If you drive down country roads, you will see a lot of old barns which have had the old first floor replaced with cinder blocks. The problem is the underpinnage. If the foundation is not a few feet lower than the frost line,it will heave. That is your problem, dig it out or lose the wall. Keep all wood 12 - 18 inches above the soil line to prevent rot. I have a 1900 barn put up by my Gr Gr Uncle and every year some part must be jacked and stone restacked. You have to love old barns to keep them up Ed

Russ from MN · Apr 1, 2010

I think that's kind of how they stabilized the leaning tower if Pisa!

larry@stinescorner · Apr 2, 2010

is it possible to dig where the posts sit and use sonotubes like are used on a deck ? Im not very good at explaining but it would be lessdigging and it would support the posts

Billy NY · Apr 2, 2010

Similar to a practice that is referred to as underpinning, as long as the material in the wall is good, (strong) you should be able to coax it back into place once you have cleared obstructions or anything that is influencing it. I've done it under existing multi story building foundations, small sections at a time, until the entire foundation is underpinned, for support, not to correct a problem like you describe.

When jacking and or applying forces to the wall, don't point load the wall excessively, use some blocking or similar to spread out the load.

If read correctly, you state the depth of the footing is 12? inches ? Could be frost heave causing problems, how deep is the rubble under the footings?

Grass Roots Farmer · Apr 2, 2010

Thanks for all the comments. I should have explained that the 4 posts are already on concrete piers, but they were set in (sitting in a recess) and their bottoms are rotting out. And, yes, the rock foundation appears to be only 12" deep. So frost heaving could have been the cause, although we live in Virginia, where, typically, the winters are not severe.(not this year) I will nibble away at the subsoil, apply a spreadout load to the outside wall and see what happens. For the moment, the grass is starting to take off and other spring projects are calling.

leaning foundation wall (O/T)

Grass Roots Farmer

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Adirondack case guy

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Adirondack case guy

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Ed the wine farmer

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Russ from MN

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larry@stinescorner

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Billy NY

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Grass Roots Farmer

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