Overall, Corpus Christi is located in soils that are excellent for farming but are extremely damaging for concrete foundations, making slab repairs and house leveling a common task. The plasticity of the soil (a rating which designates how much soil shrinks or swells) in extremely high in Corpus Christi. Corpus Christi is located on the Texas coast and is the county seat of Nueces County. It has a population of about 290,000 people and a total land area of approximately 460.2 square miles (1,192.0 km2) which make Corpus Christi the eighth largest city in Texas.
For more information about Dawson Foundation Repair’s Corpus Christi services, see the following:
· Request a FREE*, no obligation foundation inspection in Corpus Christi, Texas.
· Browse the foundation repair methods commonly used in Corpus Christi, Texas.
· See a step-by-step walkthrough of the foundation repair process.
Corpus Christi Soil Characteristics As They Affect Foundation Repair
The Coastal Bend of Texas is a curve of land about 40 miles wide on the western coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Nueces County is located near the center of this curve which is almost uniform in shape. The Coastal Bend of Texas consists of mainly heavy, blackland soils. Nueces County itself comprises of 847 square miles of the Coastal Prairies region and has an elevation that rises gradually from the sea to the northwestern part of the county and generally the terrain is flat. The high point of 146 feet (other sources state 180 feet) above sea level is in the northwestern part of the county.
The soils in the Nueces County and Corpus Christi area vary. The central part of the county has variations from very dark loams to gray or black cracking clayey soils. The western part of the county has soils that are light to dark with loamy surfaces and clayey subsoils. The coastal region is characterized by soils that are sandy, while in the marsh areas the soils are very dark with clayey subsoils. The soft soil types, combined with the deep bed rock and near-absence of rock deposits greatly contribute to the shrinking and swelling that causes cracks to apear in concrete slabs and necessitates home foundation repair.
The United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service issued an extensive report about the soils in Nueces County and the Corpus Christi area. Engineers and other technically inclined individuals may want to read the report in full. One part of particular interest, however, appears on page 53 of the report:
Urban structures, recreational sites, and transportation facilitiesMost of the soils within and adjacent to Corpus Christi are underlain by and were formed from heavy clays of the Beaumont geologic formation. By far the largest acreage consists of Victoria soils. These soils have a fine-textured surface layer and subsoil that contain clay with a high shrink-swell ratio. This characteristic alone may be responsible for the failure of sewer and water lines, foundations and walls, power line and pole alignment, and pavements that crack and heave.
The characteristics of Texas soil present Corpus Christi homeowners with challenges in maintaining and preventing damage to their home’s concrete slab. The underlying conditions frequently necessitate foundation repair in Corpus Christi. For more information about how geological conditions can affect a home’s foundation, you can read a report written by engineer and PhD recipient Tom Witherspoon about the technical issues associated with Texas soils and how they affect your foundation repair choices.
Climate Influences On Home Foundation Repair In Corpus Christi
The climate of Corpus Christi is described as humid-subtropical or “marine”. Its climate is similar to other areas of the Gulf Coast region but it has lower precipitation due to its proximity to the semiarid areas to the west and southwest. The average annual rainfall is thirty inches, which is relatively low for a coastal city. Temperatures in Corpus Christi range from an average high of 93° F in July to an average low of 47° in January. The highest temperature on record is 109 °F (43 °C), on September 5, 2000, while the lowest temperature on record is 11 °F (-12 °C).
If you would like to take a detailed look of the soil in your neighborhood, consider looking at the United States Department of Agriculture’s Soil Survey Tool. It will give you an in-depth look at exactly what type of soil your home sits on and the characteristics one can expect from soils of that type. For your convenience, you may utilize a tutorial on how to use the Soil Survey Tool that we have compiled.
Service Areas For Home Foundation Repair In Corpus Christi, Texas
Dawson Foundation Repair will provide FREE*home foundation repair inspections and estimates for the Corpus Christi area.
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