Below are excerpts from the web site of A-1Engineering about concrete Pressed Piles (Press Piles) and why there are serious questions about their compliance with the Building Codes in the state of Texas and elsewhere. Their discussion and analysis is somewhat lengthy so we have chosen a few of their conclusions to present on this page. The engineers at A-1 Engineering are Independent Structural Engineers and we are quoting their work and opinions on our web site because we believe the homeowner and consumer should be fully informed and know the issues and facts.
Dawson Foundation Repair
After reading the entire article, we hope you’ll gain a better understanding of why the Concrete Press Piles is a foundation repair system that does not meet the building code and more importantly, is a foundation repair system that you do not want to use for your house.
“The building code to Engineers is the Law. It’s the engineer’s “Bible”. When we say “the Law”, we really mean, it’s the law.
When an Engineer designs anything at all, he needs to design according to the code. Not designing according to the code is in effect breaking the law. There are dire consequences if it is found that an engineer purposely didn’t design according to the code . . .”
(reprinted with permission from A-1Engineering, Structural Engineers, San Antonio, Texas, http://www.a-1engineering.com/old/foundationrepairscam1.htm)
d) Conclusion: Don’t use Concrete Press Piles Foundation Repair
“Get yourself a consultant, a true structural engineer from the beginning will tell you that this system doesn’t work and you need something else. We say “true” structural engineers because many residential engineers are not structural engineers, and those who are, many of them don’t even know there’s full chapter on the building code that talks about foundations and how to design them. In fact, give them a test question, ask them if the concrete press piles meet the building code; if they say yes, then run away, because the person who just replied either is not an engineer, or if he is an engineer he is not a structural engineer, or if he is a structural engineer, then he simply not a reliable structural engineer for this particular issue on foundation repair.”
(Reprinted with permission from A-1Engineering, Structural Engineers, San Antonio, Texas,
http://www.a-1engineering.com/old/foundationrepairscam5.htm)
“e.1) Why don’t they use this type of piers for New Construction?
Because it doesn’t work. Even without knowing anything about engineering, if this system is so good, why not build houses and buildings with it from the get go? The system just doesn’t work, doesn’t meet code, that’s why it’s not used in the beginning, and that’s why no commercial buildings even use it for foundation repairs.
e.2) If the press piles system doesn’t meet code, why can I get a permit from the city?
Because the city doesn’t know…
So, a lot of stuff gets approved by the city without necessarily being right. Just because you get a permit from the city approving your foundation repair it doesn’t mean the foundation repair will work, or the foundation repair meets the code, and for that matter, it doesn’t even mean that it has been engineered.”
(Reprinted with permission from A-1Engineering, Structural Engineers, San Antonio, Texas, http://www.a-1engineering.com/old/foundationrepairscam6.htm)
“So, can we say that a concrete press pile foundation repair system stabilizes the foundation? Absolutely not.
d) Conclusion: Don’t use Concrete Press Piles Foundation Repair
As we saw in Part 1, from the get-go, the very first paragraph on foundation design, concrete press piles foundation repair system doesn’t meet the requirements of the building code, which bluntly means, this foundation repair system just doesn’t work (and you can ask many of the current owners who did foundation repair and you’ll see their foundations are still moving).”
(reprinted with permission from A-1Engineering, Structural Engineers, San Antonio, Texas, http://www.a-1engineering.com/old/foundationrepairscam9.htm)
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