Laser level: How to leveling w / crossed line laser level?

[Obamot]

English and french welcoming. English and French welcome.

The main problem of the next decade on renewable energy is the following: If many houses have a favorable location in the south, to the sun. Most of the time was a crucial problem, and need some improvement today. The purpose of this thread is: how to solve the problem of upgrading the foundations of a house by using a laser pointer.

The main problem of the next decade concerning renewable energies is the following: how to capture and store energy. If many homes have a favorable location in the south, compared to the sun. Most of them were built at a time when energy was not a crucial problem, and today they need some improvement in their structure. The purpose of this thread is: how to solve a problem of leveling the foundations of a house that sinks into the water table using a laser spirit level.


1) Selecting the type of laser - Choice of laser type

I have the last generation of a laser / bubble level. With two laser LEDs providing perpendicular crossed lines. Because it is easy to carry, Leica, Bosch, Skill (or whatever), it is very useful and not expensive. Moreover 3 years of full warranty!
I chose a latest-generation laser bubble level model, with 2 laser diodes with perpendicular cross-line function handy. Because it has advantages that those big brands do not have, is very convenient to use, easily transportable and is not expensive. In addition, it is guaranteed 3 years and is available periodically at Lidl.

It can be fixed by embedded magnetic base OR on a standard photographic tripod.
It can be fixed by an integrated magnetic base OR by a standard photographic tripod thread.

Powerfix z30859 model



When switched on. This "crossed line laser level" will show two lines.
one horizontal and one vertical, crossed by the middle.
When the laser is switched on. It shows a laser pointing cross.



After some adjustment, it provides a precision of 0,5 mm / m.
After being adjusted, it offers an excellent accuracy of 0,5 mm per meter.

[Next post: adjustment of the laser - Next post: laser setting]

[dedeleco]

Help Obamot's house disappears in a swamp ??
or an earthquake has thinned the earth beneath?

Or the drought cracked his house that sinks because the water table evaporated in soft clay ???

More than the level, (by rolling balls we can see it well or a water level and pipes on 10m), the problem is, more, how to recover for cheap, a 20 house in 50 tons that copies the tower of Pisa and that crack !!

Otherwise Uretek or Geosec you straighten it for quite expensive, with plenty of expansive foam under the foundations at 15000 € per ton.
And they have this measuring equipment !!
And they have one to two minutes per injection tube, no more.

And micropiles are more expensive and not safer.

We quickly reach the price of the house!

And that reminds me of a memory of almost forty years, with a developer having built my house, with the exit for the sewers at 20 m of 20cm distance lower than the bottom of the sewer and I was the only one to see this blunder, without any laser (there was no semiconductor lasers at the time) with the developer who did not believe me, but who had to do especially for me, 75m deep trench to get the sewer elsewhere !!
And it is only one, among an armada of poor workmanship, as the foundations connected to piles by small concrete iron in sand without any cement, in neighbors (I was on big blocks of sandstone ) and I was still the only one to discover it in the crawl spaces of the neighbors !!
Also, the plans in top view incompatible with the front view and me asking: you realize me what, the top view or bottom ???
Not to mention that before I had almost bought a beautiful land as radioactive as 30Km Fukushima!

[Obamot]

Obamot's house disappears in a swamp?

Not my house, I'm just going to help. Because the seller would have run away ... So no way to assert his responsibility.

More than the level, (rolling balls you can see it well

Exact. This is what they did to prove to me that the house was tilting, but there is no need to realize it, you can clearly see the difference in level between the hall / passageway of access (on the left and which has remained level), and the entrance to the house itself (on the right with this sort of "promenade" that goes all around):

the problem is, more, how to recover for cheap,

Still accurate, but I'll come to it later ...

a house of 20 at 50 tons that copies the tower of Pisa and that crack!

... uh, there you are "light". 10 T, what does a ladle do: 4 m3 of concrete without the reinforcements? There he has 14 pillars with 8T per pillar, count 112T ...

We quickly reach the price of the house!

To be exact, they are actually asking him for the price of a small house for hydraulic straightening. I would like to avoid that ...

[Obamot]

Methods expected

1) Up to the land, but in the worst case, that has been injected under the house (a sort of milky concrete) may can also "flows" with the house.
2) I believe that a hydraulic system would be moreover, and futile: because there is no guarantee that the house will remain stable
3) the best system in this matter, but it is difficult to know what is going on in the ground (under the shoes) ? Just to know that the land is waterlogged? We already know that ...
Ditto by testing the "load capacity" of the land!
4) I also thought about adding two metallic columns (smaller, about ø12cm VS 22 for the big ones) in the end of concrete beams, which would transmit the excess of charge on enlarged footings (thus distributing the weight better on the critical rental) . This is the third point, which I would consider chronological order.
5) I plan to place a counterweight to the area that was more elevated than the rest ... (Portion located on the far right of photo). It would be enough to build the walls of the pillars and build on the floor of the 15 cm, reinforced with mesh. All with hydraulic concrete. It would be enough to fill this volume with water. If the system works, it would suffice to see the house recovering it's original level, and gauging / controlling it by modifying the level of water, and so on ...
Then and only then, if it's effective, it can be given to extending the footings as described under "4"
6) It is also envisaged to stop the descent, by using a small metallic column, and taking advantage of the footings of the lobby / corridor to locking it (to the left). . I would publish some draw, later.
It should work, but there is a risk that the house uses this point to turn around. We must therefore support by two column with an hyperstatic design ...! Not so easy.

Otherwise Uretek or Geosec you straighten it for quite expensive, with plenty of expansive foam under the foundations at 15000 € per ton.
And they have this measuring equipment !!
And they have one to two minutes per injection tube, no more.

I thought about it, but nothing is less certain ... It all depends on the subsoil and the elasticity of the earth. When I say "water table", it is an understatement to say if the earth is saturated with water (with risers next to it ..)

Possible methods considered
1) in the worst case what would have been injected, could "sink" with the house.
2) I feel that the hydraulic system would be lost, because there is no guarantee that the house will remain stable once straightened ...
3) the best system in this order of idea, would be to inject cement milk into the soil ... But again, if we did not do coring to know the state and densitometry of the sub -ground. It's hard to know where you are going. And finally, if it's just to realize that it's waterlogged, there's no need to even core. So the cement milk will not necessarily be effective! Ditto doing "load" tests of the field!
4) I also thought of putting small columns at the end of the concrete beams, which would rest on enlarged foundation pads, thus distributing the weight of the construction better at the critical point. This is the third measure I would consider in a chronological order.
5) I plan to first put a counterweight towards the part which has remained more elevated than the rest ... (part located at the far right of the photo). It would be enough to put walls between the pillars, and to pour on the ground a screed of 15 cm, with reinforced trellis. All in hydraulic concrete. It would then suffice to fill this space with water. If the system works, it would be enough to see the house straighten up, then to empty some of the water until the right level of stabilization is found. Then, but only then if it is effective, it can be considered to extend the footings as described in point "4"
6) It is also envisaged to put a support to stop the descent: taking advantage of the foundation soles of the hall / coursive part. It should work, but there is a risk that the house takes support on this support, to sink more on his left * compared to the entrance. So we need support ET ... a restraint towards the other column .... Not so simple!

(* current lowest point)

[dedeleco]

I note one very basic point, it seems that each of the two parts of the houses are not cracked or cracked, with a strong cement floor.
It is a good luck, because it is so much more difficult to restore, typical in France on clay, with wrong foundations !!!

It seems that the resistance has been overestimated, whixh is not easy.
It is necessary to know what has already been made inside the mud, how long?

This is a very important point, and I think it is necessary to prevent any possible cracking by not increasing the weight on this large cement floor with counterweight, which should be very heavy be effective, or push the house inside the mud of the ground ???

It is fundamental to know the geology of the ground, its resistance, when it is minimum, with two much water or too much dry, the depth of this mud in the ground, a few meters or ten of meters ???.
The variations between wet and dry are the main
reasons for theses movements inside the ground.

Uretek or Geosec make this ground study or characterization before any work.

There is two possibilities
injection of expansive foam which is able to move the house completely and able to increase the surface pressing on the mud gold
to drive long batteries in the ground under the piles of the house, in order to reach the strong ground.or to be fixed in the depth of the friction by a large surface.

If Uretek or Geasec accept, it can work, with the foam increasing the surface of support on the mud.

I do not know if in Asia theses firms are working.
The expansive foam is very expensive, around 10000 to 15000 for 1 m3 as I remember, in France.

With the old wood houses there is this type of problem.

[Obamot]

I note one very basic point, it seems that each of the two parts of the houses are not cracked or cracked, with a strong cement floor.
It is a good luck, because it is so much more difficult to restore, typical in France on clay, with wrong foundations !!!

It seems that the resistance has been overestimated, whixh is not easy.
It is necessary to know what has already been made inside the mud, how long?

About a year, or a year and a half, but had some flood in this area ...

The land is wet, but it's not a "floating-house builded on the mud". But a sort of sticky and fertile land (just as farmers love it)

Here, a visual examination of it:

This is a very important point, and I think it is necessary to prevent any possible cracking by not increasing the weight on this large cement floor with counterweight, which should be very heavy be effective, or push the house inside the mud of the ground?

Yeap! Exactly what I'm thinking of a counterweight! But if you notice that, the reinforced clevis could absorb this "extra weight", also by a better distribution of charges. But I understand, your doubts to obtain the expected result by this way. The question is to choose the less risky method. And without doubt, we must add some ballast to the right (upper peak)

So you point is a real question. For that, a good way is to do a test of all the structure with a sclerometer (a spell of dynamometer):



Because, unfortunately: they do not have any map of them house:



But on this cutaway, you can see the concrete beams, who is crossing edge to edge (and you can know more about the structure of this house):



You can also see the pin under the shoe, that stabilized the building. So it's closer to what you suggest above.

Larger version of the cutaway (please click on it):

Here is some of the things you need to do with some explanation (lower level on the right, on top of the draw):



Larger version available, by clicking here:

It appears on this draw, that some parts are missing to represent a perfect parallelepiped. That tell to me, according to the type of the land, we have here the cause of the imbalance. Reason why the house is prone to be unstable, imho.

It is fundamental to know the geology of the ground, its resistance, when it is minimum, with two much water or too much dry, the depth of this mud in the ground, a few meters or ten of meters ???.
The variations between wet and dry are the main reasons for theses movements inside the ground.

Another reason is maybe Exceptional flood for one month and a half (in the last november). Or maybe, because it's the normal state for this land!

Some good news: closer to the house (about 20 meters) Radio-TV, but they seem to be affected by the flood (but we have to check this out again ). This antenna was a bargain, because now, they can help to adjust the vertical line of the laser (and btw the horizontal leveling, by turning on 180 ° ...)

Uretek or Geosec make this ground study or characterization before any work.

There is two possibilities
injection of expansive foam which is able to move the house completely and able to increase the surface pressing on the mud gold
to drive long batteries in the ground under the piles of the house, in order to reach the strong ground.or to be fixed in the depth of the friction by a large surface.

Thanks for all this comments that can help. BTW I know a bit about this technology of "expansive foam". But I'm dubitative, because of environmental concern. They plant rice over there:



I also try to find other alternatives, less expensive: because no more money!

But first of all, we must know the existing level of the house.

[Obamot]

I would add this about the floor. These are simple precast reinforced concrete sleepers, which come to rest on the beams (same place as the junctions of walls). There is no slab.

[Obamot]

Something like this:

[dedeleco]

I would add this about the floor. These are simple precast reinforced concrete sleepers, which come to rest on the beams (same place as the junctions of walls). There is no slab.

Very dangerous, because it is very difficult, it will crack the beams and the walls on them, when trying to move up some batteries.
On the last picture, it looks like wood beams, not cement or concrete, and this is quite less heavy???
Only the pillars are in concrete ???????

It is absolutely necessary to evaluate the weight of the house, pillars and concrete beams!! wood is nothing !!!
Is it a 1 gold tone 5 gold 10 gold 15 tones on each pilars !!
It is necessary to evaluate the strength of the clay as a fucntion of the depth, even by pushing down a simple long 10Kg mine bar inside the ground by hands.

You can also see the pin under the shoe, that stabilized the building. So it's closer to what you suggest above.

the pines are too short on the face
How long exactly ??? 50CM as on the figure or more ???
The clay often in the border of rivers with floods.
The biggest problem is that This will continue continuously, from one year to the next year, between floods in winter and drying in summer !!
In this case the beams with sleepers and walls on them, will crack sum day, progressiveley, very slowly, but surely !!

The first problem is to stop this slow movement before moving up, to suppress the slope !!

The only way is to have long pines

Uertek tests the ground by pushing or driving a small pile of gold or a heavy hammer to the ground where the ground becomes strong.
Even a long bar or a few inches pushed with some heavy hammer gives some information !!
If you can go down easily several meters, it is absolutely necessary to incresase the lenght of the pits under the foundations of the pilars to this depth, 3 or 5 or10 meters ???
With a simple mine of 10 Kg, it is very easy to get to grips with 2m or more in this type of wet clay, as I make in my garden.

It is all about growing up or reaching home from the bottom of the house !!

After stabilization, with this method, it will be possible to move with the help of hydraulic jack bearing on the long underground posts, or near the shoes of the pilars or posts.

Simple inexpensive truck jacks of 12 your way to work, when the clay is wet and like marmalade, moving up slowly back to the posts and pin on the shoes.
I have moved up to a very heavy and big tree with this inexpensive method.

With inexpensive prop (rotating) under the beams, one for every ton to move, it is possible to move up several cm progressively !!
I have made very easlly, like used by every mason in the world ..

It can be inexpensive, only work hours contrary, to the foam of Uretek.

Many things can be said about the problem, the problem is inexpensively, there is a big free space under the house.
A 10 Kg hammer, when knocking fast down against an iron bar, makes more than one ton!!

Without posts at large depth, several meters down, there is no hope to solve, because it wil continue to go slowly but surely on several years !!!

I have seen thjis slow movement after the dry summer of 2005, we have a house, a few mm, but never stopping for cm, the next years, we have a house, stable more than 15 years, before !!

[dedeleco]

With that, you have to make 60 to increase the force on the hand screw, it is possible to move up one more, you have made 10 such as 10 tons on beams.



It is the simplest inexpensive way to move the house on each other, pushing on many news pins inside the ground, near the shoes.

You need the number of pilars: 14 times the number of tones on each pilar, of such props !!