If you’ve been trying to get a grasp on foundation repair jargon and have been hearing the term “bell bottom piers“, the Du-West website has a pretty good explanation.
It has nothing to do with pants.
Another term for bell bottom piers is “drilled piers.”
There is also a drawing on the site to give you a visual idea of the process.
Bell bottom piers are cast-in-place, deep seated, wide based foundation support.
Bell bottom piers require pre-drilling of holes and pouring of concrete on-site. Rather than skin friction like the pressed piles, they utilize load-bearing capacity of the belled bottom to provide support. Once the right amount of pressure forms arund the bulb tip of the pier, load-bearing strength is obtained. Concrete curing of 7-10 days is required before the load can be applied.
Friend Johnny Thompson, seller of houses in Florida, tells me that this is a popular foundation repair option in areas with sandy soils.
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