Poor or incomplete understanding of the subsurface prior to construction can have unintended and often catastrophic results. Shield’s Forensic Engineering team, coupled with our extensive geotechnical engineering and construction materials expertise, can determine the cause of foundation and retaining wall failures.
Structural foundations can settle and crack for a number of reasons including, soft soil, increased moisture, lightweight soil, consolidation, compression, and transitioning soil stiffness (soft to rock). Structural remediation for foundation failures include transferring the load of the structure through the soft soil to a harder layer below, adding another component to the soft soil and increasing the stiffness or chemical modification of the soil.
Whether due to poor subsurface preparation, inadequate engineering design, or poor construction workmanship, we can help. Shield routinely conducts investigations for law firms, insurance companies, and private individuals to determine the root cause of the failure.
