Brick Support Pier

[Skip Erwin]

What would you say about this? This is in a 42 year old home. I don't see any floor settlement and the center one third of the floor joists is in the center one third of the bottom brick. Not sure what to say. Monitor or repair. Maybe have a GC assess and repair if necessary.

[Keith Swift, PhD.]

Skip,
Intermediate floor support is not as significant as other structural components, but needs to be professional. Therefore, I would describe this in my report, or include the picture, and recommend a second opinion.

[Frank P. Newman]

If it hasn't failed in 42 years, I woudl not recommend repair. However, I would probably photo and mention.

[Larry D. Kage]

Originally Posted by fnewman

If it hasn't failed in 42 years, I woudl not recommend repair. However, I would probably photo and mention.

Maybe not in this situation but, that thinking can get a person in trouble. Often, after overloading time and time again, structural failures are sudden and catastrophic.

I often remind people of Mount St, Helens when I hear "It's been that way for years".

[pdickerson]

I don't see an issue with it as long as the concrete pad that the blocks bear on is adequate. I can't tell from the photo.

[Richard A. Hetzel]

I don't see an issue. Unorthodox and sloppy but acceptable.

[cgoyette]

I must be missing something: 42 years ago I'll bet the pier was in the middle of the beam and the and all the blocks lined up. Looks like it has moved 3 inches to the right. How, who knows, but why put it in off center? Looks to me like it moved. Now it may be done moving but it looks like it moved or was moved.

Comments?


Curt

[Skip Erwin]

Curt,

I'm with you. I think the pier has moved. How? I don't know. The house isn't on a hill. Maybe an earthquake. HA HA. Not here in North Carolina.

Skip

[cgoyette]

There are some really smart guys on this board, sure would like some of there opinions/experience weighting in on this one.

Curt

[mthomas2]

Did you probe to determine if there was a footing? When I see someting like that I always try probing diagionally under the block - ocassionally, I find nothing but soil.

[Marcel R. Cyr]

I think one would find that most likely there is no footing support under this stacked block pier.

I am guessing here, but looking at the picture and not knowing what part of the Country it is, I am seeing that their is no vapor barrier on the ground,
No insulation in the joist space, and the carrying beam is most likely made up of two members with a ledger on both sides with notched floor joist.
That would tell me this block pier is not carrying a tremendous amount of load.

I believe, from looking at the picture that the soil type appears to be of a high relative moisture content which is evident on the bottom block course and the wicking affect in appearance.

It would or could be conceivable that over the years, the clayish dirt settled and the bottom block shifted downward on one end about 30 degrees and the upper tiered blocks slide foward due to the incline.

When the obviouse sagging in the floor, someone went underneath and either jacked it up enough to pack dirt under the block and used what I am seeing as a brick to wedge it up.
So the original block went back to it's original position, but was still too much pressure at the time to slide the upper ones back where they belong.

Hey, if anything, sounds good dosen't it? ha. ha.

Marcel

[Richard A. Hetzel]

It's hard to see from the picture exactly what the pier is carrying, but I see no mortar on the top of the extended end of the bottom block, and if there is mortar at all between it and the next block up, it doesn't appear to be cracked, which kind of rules out the idea of lateral movement. So, the load path is direct from the beams to the ground, and therefore the offset in the blocks is of no consequence. As I said, unorthodox but acceptable. The suggestion that the earth be probed for presence of a footing, however, is a good one, but in that climate, maybe a footing isn't required...that all depends on the load transmitted to the pier, and we cannot see enough to determine that.

[Marcel R. Cyr]

Richard, I think you need to check with your Consulting Engineer. ha. ha.

Marcel

[cgoyette]

Originally Posted by mcyr

Richard, I think you need to check with your Consulting Engineer. ha. ha.

Marcel

Marcel,

It is good that you have a day job, and are good at it.....comedy...hummm you'd starve


Just kidding...so no Maine humor in my mail box!

Curt
PS
Maine Hiumor is usually in the form of moose poop~!

[Marcel R. Cyr]

Originally Posted by cgoyette

Marcel,

It is good that you have a day job, and are good at it.....comedy...hummm you'd starve


Just kidding...so no Maine humor in my mail box!

Curt
PS
Maine Hiumor is usually in the form of moose poop~!

Sorry about that, I have been told more than once the I had a dry humor about things, and this must have been one of them.

I guess I am to serious about my work sometimes, and most of the times according to the one you have to obey. ha. ha.

Marcel