HOUSE & STRUCTURE STABILIZATION

Montague, Michigan USA

please scroll down

This structure was built in the early 1990's atop of a shifting sand dune overlooking Lake Michigan.  The structure literally captured the crest of the dune with the front and back yard sloping away at greater than a 45 degree angle.  The foundation consisted of wooden posts set in randomly set in hand mixed concrete.  Over the subsequent years the house had settled over six inches and shifted 4 inches out of plumb.  The center of the structure sagged 2 inches due to inadequate support footings.

House built in critical dunes. It is being stabilized by Deitz House Moving Engineers, Inc. of Muskegon, MI.

Deitz House Moving Engineers, Inc. was consulted for help designing a non invasive supplemental support system. Ideas from other contractors involved cutting holes inside the house and through the floor system.  We designed a system to bridge the existing footing and enable the house to remain in tact.  DHME team members fabricated support steel, columns and stanchions.  We installed concrete grade beams and installed all structural steel.  The picture to the right is the first load of structural steel.  

DHME employees preparing to lift structure stabilization beams into place.  This crane has a 70,000 pound capacity and has a vertical reach of over 105 feet.  The roof of the structure we are working on is barley visible in the upper right hand corner of this picture as it is partially obscured by the trees

Deitz team member Jeff Wade guides the structural steel beam as it is lifted over the side of the critical dune.  Because this structure is on a critical dune and a high risk erosion area, we followed the strict guide lines mandated by our permit.  No contact or disruption was maintained beyond a ten foot perimeter of the structure.

Patrick Carr co-ordinates activates  between ground crew and the crane operator.  Radio contact  was imperative as both the rigger and crane operator worked without visual contact with the beam.  The beam is gently guided under the structure over 100 feet above the lakeshore .

PLEASE CHECK BACK. 

Return to homepage;