Structural Work in San Pedro
San Pedro caissons sized from soil borings: depth set by firm ground, grade beams tying them together, LADBS plan check and inspected shafts.
How deep do the caissons have to go? It is a fair question at a San Pedro walk-through, and the soils engineer answers it. Borings locate where firm material begins, and each shaft is drilled far enough into it to carry its share of the house through friction along its sides and bearing at its tip. If the lot slopes, the design also allows for soil that could creep downhill past the upper part of the shaft.
What sets the depth
The soils report and the load on each caisson set its depth. Loose or filled ground near the surface adds little support, so the shaft passes through it into firmer material below. On a slope, the engineer may ignore the top portion of the shaft when calculating capacity and design it to resist sideways push from moving soil. Grade beams then tie the caisson tops together under the house. Where borings warn of groundwater or caving soil, casing or slurry keeps the hole open, and the quote lists it as a separate item.
LADBS and the peninsula
Within the City of Los Angeles, San Pedro plans are reviewed by LADBS, whose inspectors see each shaft before concrete. If the address is inside the coastal zone, a separate coastal review may be required, and we settle that first. Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Lomita and Palos Verdes Estates go through other offices, so caisson details and inspection steps are matched to each one. Close to the water, the engineer may add concrete cover around the rebar cage of every shaft.
About our structural work workEverything we build in San Pedro
Structural Work in San Pedro: questions
An engineer, reading the wall from top to footing. Lean and cracking tell part of the story, and the footing and drain behind it tell the rest. The recommendation is to keep, strengthen or replace. Any structural repair then goes to LADBS for plan check, and its inspector sees the footing and the drain before the wall is backfilled.
The engineer starts with depth to firm material, because that sets how long each caisson runs. How the slope could move, where borings met groundwater, the path water takes across the lot and the clearance a drill rig needs at each shaft come next.
Each caisson is its own line, with depth and diameter shown, and each wall run is priced by the foot. Grade beams, casing if the borings require it, drainage and haul-off are listed apart, with design and permit costs shown separately as well.
Structural Work in other cities
More work in San Pedro
Planning work in San Pedro?
Tell us about the lot and the job. A builder replies by phone or email to set up a visit.