Commercial Push Pier Systems
The Supportworks push pier system uses a load transfer bracket and high-strength round steel tubes to lift and stabilize settling and sinking foundations.
First, foundation brackets are affixed to the existing footing. Then, pier sections are hydraulically driven through each foundation bracket and into the soil below. The combined weight of the structure above and any contributory soil load are used as resistance.
Each pier section is driven downward continuously until load-bearing soils are reached. Once competent strata are reached, the structure will lift, or the target pressure/load is achieved.
With the push pier system in place, the structure’s weight is successfully transferred from the surrounding unstable soils to the foundation brackets, then through each pier, and into the load-bearing soils or bedrock.
Piers are individually driven into the soil using the weight of the structure above and contributory soil load. Once every pier is driven successfully, all piers are re-loaded at the same time. Then, the total reaction load is distributed across multiple pier locations.
During the load transfer operation, the average load on each pier is less than the load during installation and driving. Because of this, a factor of safety against foundation settlement is achieved.
Our commercial push pier systems achieve a factor of safety against pier settlement from 1.5 to 3.0. Higher values are typically achieved for structures with greater rigidity.
