huangyhg

building a house on caissons
i am actually a homeowner of a house which was built on caissons. we are presently in the process of trying to sell the house, but have received comments from potential buyers that they were concerned about the houses foundation because it was built on caissons.
it was originally built on caissons because the land has poor soil. it is located in a "localized poor drainage area". it never has standing water even in the heaviest rains, but the village requires that the house be 3' above the high water mark.
does anyone know if caissons are more sturdy, or less sturdy than a typical basement foundation? can anyone point me to an information source which would compare the different types of foundations, and the pros and cons of each.
do you have details of the caissons? take them to a geotech engineer for an opinion.
caissons are good enough for bridges, there should be no problem with the priciple of such foundations for a house. you could try and contact the original engineer who designed them and get them to certify.
i just had a friend of mine ask me to look at his basement where settling had occurred. in this case, it was standard, continuous concrete footings and i wrote him a letter describing the problem, issues, and recommendations for repair. i also included some information on future potential issues that would pose problems and the incentive for repair.
the point is, if you hire a structural engineer or a geotechnical engineer, many times they can write an opinion to you. this can be used to "comfort" you potential buyers.
i would say, if i had a house on caisson - a.k.a. drilled shafts, bored piles, and the like - (subject to them reaching proper purchase) in an area of poor soils, i would be . some homes are built thus (and focht3 could be more specific) on caissons in areas of expansive soils as the caissons can be taken down economically below the zone of volume change. agree - pay a little to have a geotech write a "feel good" letter for you. you should try to have the details of the depths of caissons, number of them, etc. - might have that in the city building department if you don't have the plans.

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