Foundation Piering

Foundation Piers - Foundation Piering Boston, Massachusetts

We have extensive experience working with a variety of foundation piering, including offset steel piers, concrete piling piers, drilled concrete piers, push piers, and helical piers.

Our Boston, Massachusetts team has been working with foundation piering systems for years, and over time, we've come to the conclusion that the DynaPier is the best foundation stabilization product on the market for structural repairs that require piering. Not only does it have the edge in engineering, strength, and durability - it is also the quickest and least invasive to install.

DynaPier Facts

  • Our DynaPier is made from a steel pipe that has been filled with concrete. This increases the strength of the pier. While most foundation piers are made from one material or the other, we combined the two sturdiest materials to make our own superior foundation piering system.
  • The DynaPier product is considered a concentrically loaded pier. This means all loads will be transferred through a solitary vertical axis, alleviating fail points. When we install our system centralized below the footing instead of to the outside, the load is transferred directly over the foundation pier. The typical foundation piers don't operate in this manner. For instance, if you choose offset steel piers, the load doesn't transfer to the pier itself directly. This makes the braces underneath the area more susceptible to breaking.
  • Shims, which are contained in the pier cap itself, prevent the shifting of the pier as the soil in which the pier is anchored expands and contracts.
  • We have combined a .217 pipe with 8,000 PSI concrete, giving the system we created even greater strength.
  • We then end-load and press the piers to the bedrock or the designated point of resistance. Most of the common piers available are considered friction piers. This means they use the soil to create friction to hold them in position. Unfortunately, friction-based piers can fail when the soil expands or contracts, which is typically due to changes in the weather. The DynaPier removes these elements.

How does DynaPier compare to other commonly used pier systems?

DynaPier vs. Offset Steel Pier

  • The DynaPier is created using .217 steel tubing, which is filled with high-strength concrete for maximum strength. Offset steel piers have hollow steel tubing and only use steel in their construction, which is not nearly as strong as the DynaPier.
  • The DynaPier is a concentrically loaded pier. This means it is positioned precisely under the foundation, transferring the loads through a single axis to eliminate fail points. The offset steel pier is installed on the side of the footing rather than underneath, therefore structural loads do not transfer directly onto the pier. This makes the spot directly under the bracket vulnerable to breaking under pressure.
  • The offset steel pier has a steel bracket with up to a four-inch offset, which makes them vulnerable to buckling directly beneath the bracket.
  • The majority of foundation repair companies that use the offset steel pier need to use large excavating equipment to install their piers. This requires more money, which translates to an increase in their pier pricing. The DynaPier does not require large excavating equipment to install. This allows for a more competitive price per pier, as well as a decrease in the chance for property damage.

DynaPier vs. Concrete Piling Pier

  • The DynaPier is created using .217 steel tubing, which is filled with high-strength concrete for maximum strength. Piling piers made solely from concrete are more susceptible to weathering and cracking as time goes on.
  • The DynaPier is end-loaded, meaning it is driven into the ground all the way to the point of resistance. Our piering system is designed to hit bedrock, which means they are driven deep enough to permanently fix a foundation. Drilled concrete piers are a different type of pier known as friction piers. This means they use the surrounding soil to create the necessary friction to hold them in position. There is a huge design flaw in this system. When the soil gets wet or dry it will expand and contract causing it to lose friction. This means it will eventually fail. This is a common problem with these piers because they rely on the soil, which is always changing.
  • Shims are placed at the top of the pier segments when the last few inches are required to level a foundation. The DynaPier system contains the shims within the pier cap, which does not allow them to shift or move. The concrete piling pier's shims are not contained, which means that even slight movements in the soil can cause the shims to misalign and cause settlement. The shims on concrete piling piers are often intentionally broken on the job site with a hammer so that they fit correctly. This creates an uneven surface that allows for very little contact between the shim and concrete block, decreasing the strength of the pier.

DynaPier vs. Drilled Concrete Pier

  • The DynaPier is created using .217 steel tubing, which is filled with high-strength concrete for maximum strength. The drilled concrete pier is only constructed of concrete.
  • The DynaPier is a concentrically loaded pier. This means it is positioned precisely under the foundation, transferring the loads through a single axis to eliminate fail points. The shaft angle of a drilled concrete pier isn't precisely vertical. This means the durability is compromised.
  • The piers in the DynaPier system are pressed to the bedrock or the designated point of resistance, while drilled concrete piers are positioned to a particular fixed depth, not particularly the appropriate depth. When we install our pier systems, they are driven down until they can't be driven any deeper to guarantee stability. However, drilled concrete piers are a different type of pier known as friction piers. This means they use the surrounding soil to create the necessary friction to hold them in position. Unfortunately, soil can contract and expand with changes in the weather, causing friction piers to fail.
  • Drilled concrete piers can take weeks to install. To start, the holes are drilled and the concrete is poured. The concrete then requires at least a week to cure and dry before the house can be raised. DynaPier piers don't require this extra drying time. Instead, they can be installed and used immediately.
  • The DynaPier system also doesn't require the use of large excavating equipment in the installation process. This means the job site is kept cleaner and there is a lower risk of property damage in the process. Drilled concrete piers, on the other hand, often use this type of equipment, causing potential damage to the property.