Hello All,
This is my first time posting in the forum. I am looking for guidance regarding these photos of an exterior foundation wall of a Duplex that I inspected. I am curious if I should have them consult a structural engineer or a contractor to fill in the areas missing. Please offer suggestion to help me inform the client on the proper route to take.
Thank you in advance,
Shawn
Do you have zoomed out pic of the area? What was on the other side? Is there a basement, crawlspace? impossible to tell what’s going on from those pics alone.
It looks like marks left from forms. And maybe a lack of footings? But, like Simon says, It is impossible to tell what is going on from those pictures alone.
Oh, and welcome Shawn!
Thank you both for your replies and I am sorry for the lack of detail. This unit is a duplex and I was only able to inspect the other side. I will be going back tomorrow afternoon because the tenant was not home at the time of the inspection. I want to get ahead of my recommendation for this matter. The above picture is a download that I doctored up a bit, but it is the affected area. I will have better pictures tomorrow evening. There is no basement or crawlspace. This is the rear of the home and there is a significant slope from the front Please let me know if you can derive anything from this photograph.
Thanks again.
Shawn, I would mention the lack of footings. But if there is no crawl space nor basement I would assume that the concrete interior is filled with clean sand or such and compacted to specifications, so I wouldn’t think it would be a problem unless the holes and voids under the concrete get bigger and erode the fill away leaving room for the slab to sink.
A qualified concrete contractor would be a good referral.
Thank you Larry!
Hey Shawn,
Just wondering how you made out with this. Also I’m not sure you can say lack of footing since footings are usually not visible. At least in my small window of experience.
Slab undermining . Recommend additional backfill.
Agree that the photos are inconclusive. I don’t see a red flag in the photos, but it looks like the site needs grading and drainage improved.
The foundation may be on caissons? You need to look in the crawlspace too. Understanding the foundation design is crucial.
