How Commercial Foundation Repairs Differ From Residential Work
If you're worried you may need the help of commercial foundation repair contractors, you might also wonder if the job will be similar to doing residential work. Commercial jobs tend to be different for several key reasons so let's take a look at what they are and why they represent a distinct challenge.
Business Continuity
Not all businesses can afford to shut down operations completely to conduct commercial construction foundation restoration projects. Consequently, you and the commercial foundation repair specialists may need to plan around your business hours. This may entail performing work at night, cordoning off part of the building, and moving inventory and fixtures around. You won't be able to achieve perfect continuity, but there's a decent chance you'll at least be able to operate at a somewhat reduced capacity.
Bear in mind, though, that this sort of plan hinges on the building not having serious issues. If the assessed problems are extensive enough, you may need to close operations until the commercial foundation repair contractors have stabilized the situation.
Size
Most commercial foundations are bigger than the ones you'll see in homes. The size of the commercial construction foundation repair efforts means you'll need more workers, equipment, and materials to accomplish a similar task. Also, you can expect the job to take more time.
Regulations and Liability
You are likely thinking at least a bit about the impact of regulatory compliance and potential liability, too. Nearly all commercial structures are subject to stricter regulations due to the potential risks to members of the public and employees. Likewise, there is potential liability if a portion of the foundation fails.
Consequently, the repairs must meet higher standards for compliance, safety, and insurance reasons. The commercial foundation repair specialists need to know how to perform work to applicable local, state, and federal building codes. Similarly, the work will have to undergo and pass an extensive independent inspection.
Structural Needs
Many commercial buildings also bear a lot more weight. A facility might have a parking garage, for example, and the foundation has to be able to support it. This leads to greater stress. Combine that fact with the generally more complex designs of commercial foundations, and you end up with a more involved structural engineering effort.
Such complexities often lead to more aggressive repair plans. You may have to significantly reinforce a foundation to ensure it will bear the original load without creating more problems.
Reach out to a commercial foundation repair company like Consel Inc to inquire about how they can help your building.
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