This page will describe the Drilling and Belling of a Bell Bottom Pier for Foundation Repair in Houston. Once the boxes (holes) are deep enough to begin motorized drilling, two man teams will drill a 9 inch shaft down to the stable soil beneath the concrete beams of the home. Once stable soil is reached ten to fifteen feet below ground level, workers will use a “belling tool” to create the distinctive “bell” which give bell bottom piers such great stability. The bell will have a final diameter of 24 inches which will support the weight of the house or building in the stable soil. Steel rebar is custom cut and tied together for each pier. Fresh concrete is poured and reinforced with the steel rebar to insure strength and durability. The wet concrete at top of the pier (the cap) is leveled and it is all left to cure or dry.
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Drilling the Shaft of the Bell Bottom Pier |
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 The motorized dig requires a two man team to hold, guide and remove the digging auger. |
 The concrete that ultimately fills this hole will be reinforced with steel rebar. |
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The Completed Shaft of the Bell Bottom Pier |
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 This is the bell bottom tool that is used to shape the bottom of the hole. |
 The men must remove the soil from the interior of the tool, a process that is repeated 7 or 8 times until the bell bottom base is completed. |
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The Bell Bottom Tool |
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 Plywood boards are always placed under our tools and heavy equipment to protect the homeowner’s lawn. |
 This photograph shows the bell bottom digging tool with its flanges fully extended. This is the “secret” of digging “Bell Bottoms” at the bottom of a hole. |
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Drilling (Excavating) the Bell at the Bottom of the Shaft |
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