Easy foundation work or a trap? 3

[ANE91]

Local contractor sells underpinning services to homeowners. Jurisdiction requires a sealed engineering report before issuing a permit for the work. Their last guy retired; I’ve seen his work. Enter me: seems like a good potential source of revenue, low hanging fruit. Totally new line of work for me (though I’ve done basement wall repairs). Salient assumptions below:

1. No geotech report, but I could default to the lowest presumptive soil bearing pressures in IBC 1610 and 1806.
2. Contractor specializes in helical piers side-mounted to footings.
3. Contractor is likely promising to “fix the foundation” when they really mean that they’re arresting or at least attenuating settlement. No jacking applicable.
4. Loads are not high enough and walls aren’t long enough to warrant special attention for any eccentricity.
5. I cannot think of any codified reason for the jurisdiction’s requirement beyond the basic alterations stuff in the IEBC.
6. By and large, these aren’t life safety issues but rather serviceability concerns. I would pull in a geotech for a house that looks like it’ll disappear into a sinkhole or some such.
7. My reports would simply verify whether the contractor’s proposed underpinning sufficiently increases the bearing surface so as to justify an expected decrease in settlement, even though the house is probably done settling by the time they get involved…

The last point doesn’t 100% sit right with me. On the one hand, who am I to tell a contractor what he can/cannot sell? On the other hand, I doubt that I would find much of that work truly necessary. Would getting involved make me party to deceit?

As much as I like to make money, I hate trouble more. Can I get a sanity check on this, particularly from others who design underpinning? Feel free to tear me a new one; I can take it. Thanks.

 

[human909]

Essentially, do you want to end your structural career someday being an "underpinning virgin" or at least having one roll in the hay.

I do like this comment. And you guys sound like you are confident and know what you are talking about.

I'm still an "underpinning virgin" Any there are so many fun hay stacks to roll around it that you can't do every one. For me every project is continuing to present very much new and different challenges.

Speaking about hay. I did once have to spend about 3 hours dressed head to toe disposable coveralls, facemask and dust mask cleaning out a blocked vacuum conveying receiver from hay dust. Fun times during my diverse structural engineering role. But I have no issue 'getting my hands dirty' or in this case (everything full of hay) if required

 

[Aesur]

Around here, most residential involvement is due to shrinkage and swelling of underlying plastic clay soils. The only calculation I usually do is the required helical capacity. I end up putting them 5-6 ft. O.C. on most jobs. I get about $1350 total for the site visit, drawing and a follow-up note on the drawing that it was done in general accordance after looking at install photos and boring logs. Probably 3 hours max. of my time. Pretty much the standard of care in my area.

Wow, my site visit is a min $750 now days, including travel time and then I would be anther $1000 to $1500 on top of that for any sketches or calcs based on min fees and if they agree up front to bundle with the site visit.