’58 Strong Steel I-Beams

Steel I-Beam Reinforcement

On occasions where the basement wall is bowed up to 2-inches but not more than 4-inches, Steel I-Beams offer a very solid solution. Placed 2-foot from the corner and then every 4-foot, they are mechanically anchored top and bottom. Once installed, they are unforgiving and will not move.

Steel I-Beams are a perfect solution if your basement does not have a slab. In this instance, a 2-foot wide, 3-foot deep trench is dug out 2-feet from the wall. The I-Beams are placed in the trench and the void is filled with concrete to create a solid foundation.

You may lose some square footage if finishing your basement over the I-Beams, but when the I-Beam is secured against the bowing wall, it is very stable.

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Why Is My Basement Wall Bowing?

A bowing basement wall is typically caused by hydrostatic pressure. This is the force of water-saturated soil expanding and pushing on the exterior of the wall. Because there is nothing on the interior to counter that force, the wall begins to move. If left untreated, the wall can continue to move inward and eventually may collapse.

Bowing walls are most often seen in foundation walls constructed with concrete blocks. These concrete blocks are held together with mortar, and the mortar (unless it is reinforced), is the weakest spot. This is where you are most likely to see the failure. The walls are strongest at the corners, so the bowing is typically found toward the middle – in the form of stairstep foundation cracks.

Hydrostatic pressure due to poor drainage of the immediate exterior is normally to blame. Freezing and thawing in the Northeast contributes to the problem, as well as water-saturated clay-like soil in the Southeast.

We Treat Your Home Like Our Home

Unless you’re putting in helical tiebacks to straighten the wall, all work is done on the inside.

We know that any construction project can cause dust and debris! We don’t like it either. Our experienced team will put up plastic curtains to contain the dust and debris in jackhammering is necessary with the I-beams. When scarifying the walls to apply Carbon Fiber Strapping, we use a vacuum system to remove the fine particles. In addition, we create a negative pressure environment in the basement, so everything is blown safely outside.

With any basement bracing installation, we clean thoroughly upon completion of the project.