Foundation Repair Case Studies: Channel Anchor Installation in Litchfield, IL

Challenge

Tim C. had a bowing brick basement wall that could fall in if left untouched. He needed a solution as soon as possible, and he called Woods Basement Systems, where Systems Design Specialist Adam Riva came out to design a solution based on Tim's needs. If Tim's basement walls would have been made from concrete blocks or filled concrete, Woods Basement Systems would have used Geo-Lock™ Wall Anchors.

Solution

The best solution for Tim was to use Geo-Lock™ channel anchors. These anchors would prevent any further movement to Tim's basement walls, and give the possible opportunity to straighten the wall. Systems Design Specialist Adam Riva determined the areas in which the anchors would be installed.

The Woods foreman and his team came to Tim's to install the channel anchors. The team carefully removed the sod in the designated areas made by Adam and placed a plastic sheet down and drilled the hole. In the hole, a metal anchor plate was placed awaiting the next step.

In the basement, the wall was then prepared for the anchors. Small one-inch holes were drilled through the foundation walls for the installation of the anchor rods. The rods were placed in the holes and joined with the anchors in the holes outside. Each anchor rod was fastened to its corresponding anchor plate with a nut. Back in the basement, vertical anchors were placed over the rods and fastened together with nuts. The basement anchors were then bolted to the floor, and the nut on the anchor is tightened further to prevent further bowing.

Back outside, the team excavated the areas outside the basement windows. This temporarily relieved the pressure against the walls, allowing for an almost instantaneous straightening of the basement walls. If Tim had opted to not excavate the area, it would have taken much longer to straighten the walls. The team tightened the channel anchors while the void existed on the outside of the wall, returning the walls to their vertical positions.

After a final inspection on the inside and outside anchor locations, the team filled in the hole outside, tamping the dirt to make sure the hole was packed tight. The sod was carefully placed on over the area and blended with the other areas for a seamless look.

Now, Tim can be sure his basement walls will not bow any further. 

Project Summary

Systems Design Specialist: Adam Riva