FAQ: Engineering Questions for Denver Homeowners

Why does it take 4-7 days for the engineer to design the work--didn't my Design Specialist already do that?

It can seem weird that it takes a while to get engineering completed, especially when your Design Specialist has already taken measurements and proposed a solution to the engineer. However, it's really the engineer who crunches the numbers, checks the soils, does extensive research into project and determines if the proposed solution will be functional for the problem that we're correcting. The engineer will interface with the Design Specialist and the homeowner to insure that the best solution is installed. All of this takes time to bring together into a proposal that can be submitted to the building department to obtain a permit.

Are the products being used by Peak designed for the soil conditions and problems that I am experiencing?

With so many products on the market, most of us rely on our chosen company to tell us which solution is right for us. Unfortunately, some solutions just aren’t ideal for the soil conditions present in Colorado’s Front Range and urban areas. For example, concrete erodes quickly when exposed to soil sulfates (naturally occurring salts found in the soils of many areas of Colorado), just like your sidewalk or driveway deteriorate rapidly if you use table salt to melt winter ice off of them. In the same way, cabled, segmented concrete piles can be particularly vulnerable to sulfite attack, and may not retain their structural integrity over the long haul. Another potential issue is when a product is used for an application for which it was not intended, such as using a square shaft pier to support a vertical load. These products were designed to resist pull out (tension) forces, not to bear the weight (compression) of a structure. Premature failure may result.

Thankfully, there are plenty of products available to remedy settling, heaving, bowing, or bending foundations that will work in Colorado's silty clay soil. Engineers take the unique soil conditions present on your property into account when designing the best solution to remedy your foundation problem.