Hard Work at Elementary School over Summer Break

Challenge

Frontier Basement Systems is doing some foundation work on a local school, Walnut Grove Elementary in Franklin TN.

The school was starting to sink; hollow areas under parts of the school were allowing for a significant amount of shifting in the structure.

Concerns: Safety, Cost to fix verses cost if not fixed, Problem getting worse if not treated

Solution

The movement of the foundation would continue to get worse if not addressed, compromising the structure further and putting the staff and students at risk.

The type of soil in this area is prone to shrinking and swelling depending on moisture levels. Due to the void under the school, there was not any stable soil to properly support the foundation and over time the weight of the building took a toll on the structure.  The movement resulted in visible cracks in the block wall and noticeable sloping of the floor.

Due to the building being an elementary school there are number of factors which add to the urgency of getting repairs completed:

1. Getting all necessary repairs done before someone does get hurt.

2. Taking advantage of summer break to have free access to the site while staff and students are away.

3. Proactively repairing the issues is cheaper than waiting until the damage gets any worse and needs replacing completely. Great stewardship of tax payers dollars by the School Board!

The foundation is being stabilized and reinforced to prevent further damage and ensure safety, with a perforated drain-line installed atop the footer.

Push piers were installed at the footer of the building to prevent the problem soil from causing the same issue in the future. The soil was regraded at a positive grade away from the building using existing backfill and a new sidewalk finished. All voids were filled with polyurethane foam, stabilizing the slabs above.

After the finishing touches of seed and straw over the backfill area; caulking and painting cracks, and general repair to any surfaces damaged during construction the elementary school is ready for the start of the school year!