Ram Jack California

Scott Kremke spent 20 years heading his own geo-technical engineering firm. There he saw a growing need for something that was going unfilled — quality foundation repair at an affordable price. So he decided to do something about it: he's now a Ram Jack Foundation Repair Systems dealer.

Kremke's two-year-old Ram Jack California dealership is based in Paso Robles, but he has repaired foundations as far south as San Diego and as far north as Stockton.

"I learned about Ram Jack at a tradeshow; I had a good feeling ... I had seen a lot of need here and I liked their pier and helix system," Kremke said.

Ram Jack is a family-owned business that began in 1968 in Ada, Oklahoma. Foundation repair back then typically involved concrete piering systems, which proved to be short-term. So the owners ultimately developed a repair system that involves a more reliable and longer lasting fix — a system involving hydraulically deep-driven steel piers. In 1985 the first patent of the Ram Jack system was issued.

The company, which has a dealership network that spans the country, has installed more than 70,000 piers on more than 6,500 residential and commercial buildings.

As a soils engineer in Southern California, Kremke routinely conducted reports and inspections on potential and existing construction sites.

"I noticed an obvious need. I noticed this repair work that had to be done," he said. "And there weren't many competitors; the competent ones were expensive."

The most common type of problem found in Kremke's neck of the woods, he said, stems from sediment and pre-construction compaction of the building pad. Cracks or sediment sometimes appear at the transition area, leading to foundation problems.

Other problems stem from settlement, which means a portion of the house foundation has dropped below the original foundation elevation. This occurs because of a loss of soil bearing capacity caused by compaction of fill, loss of moisture in the supporting soil, or the erosion of the supporting soil. In many cases, settlement originates and is more pronounced at the perimeter of the slab because it is the most susceptible to moisture loss and differential moisture conditions.

Slab-on-grade foundations depend on the uppermost soil layers to provide bearing capacity to support the structure and keep the foundation stable. If the bearing soil was not compacted properly during grading, the foundation is subject to settlement as the supporting soil consolidates.

And when it comes to homes located inland, Kremke said he has come across foundation problems resulting from expansive soils, a serious threat because the swelling potential of expansive soils is much greater than the shrinkage potential.

Moisture gain can come from plumbing leaks, subsurface water like wet weather or a high water table, or surface water —improper drainage of landscape water or rainwater.

Poor drainage can be a major contributor to soil moisture gains. Roof runoff should be directed away from the house through the use of gutters, and gutter downspouts should not be permitted to discharge the water next to the foundation. Surface drainage next to the foundation should slope away from the house approximately ¼ " per foot.

Part of the problem, Kremke said, is due to improper grading at the time of construction. In addition, he is finding frequent problems with houses more than 15 years old.

"A lot didn't have steel reinforcement in the 1970s," he said.

And Kremke is also starting to use his Ram Jack services for pre-construction jobs. Kremke said this is proving beneficial for foundation work near the coast and for sites that previously couldn't be excavated because they have been deemed Native American artifact locales.

"With our system you don't have to dig," Kremke explains.

Instead, helical anchors are installed prior to construction to prevent downward settlement before it starts. By monitoring hydraulic pressures, anchors are load tested as they are installed.

Most of Kremke's work is residential. He said homeowners in the past have frequently avoided having their damaged foundations repaired because of the steep costs involved. But with Ram Jack, Kremke said, the problems can be remedied at a decent cost in a reasonable time frame — usually less than one week.

Kremke said some of the telltale signs that indicate foundation problems include sticky doors and/or windows, sags in the ridge beam, cracks in plaster and sheetrock, and uneven floors.

Homeowners should know that homes are normally not built in areas where the soil conditions are perfect. The developer selects land for various reasons, which may include availability, cost, proximity to industrial areas, and proximity to schools. The main reason for selecting a parcel to develop, of course, is that there is a strong demand of people who want to buy homes in that area and a profit can be made from selling the homes.

The best way to find out if the soil beneath your house is expansive is to ask a geotechnical engineer. In many housing developments a Soils Report will have been prepared, but this requirement varies depending on the region of the country.

A geotechnical engineer will make soil borings on your site and take samples so these soil samples can be tested for expansiveness. These samples will show how expansive the soil is and at what depths. The geotechnical engineer will provide a written report on his findings.

Meanwhile, Kremke has remained busy this year and is impressed with Ram Jack's support.

"They're really good about dealer meetings and introducing new products and information," Kremke said.

And for those in the industry?

"This is an up and coming industry," he said. "There's a lot of potential, especially here in California."

Ram Jack California
Scott Kremke
3710 Maricopa Road
Atascadero, CA 93422
(805) 462-0100
(866) 726-5438 - TOLL FREE
805-466-0983 FAX
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Michele Dawson writes each week on one of the contractor members of The Concrete Network (www.concretenetwork.com). She has written about the home building industry for several years and was on the public affairs staff of the California Building Industry Association.