DIYbanter - View Single Post - New Foundation Excavation

HeyBub

wrote:
Contractor just broke ground last Friday, found the old septic tank
original from 1952 when the home was built. City sewers came eight
years later in 1960 so the septic tank has not seen anything new since
that time. Uncovered it and it was full of water, excavator had it
pumped out and broke up the upper part of the chamber, left the rest
alone below where the new footing will go. Contractor was going to
fill it with rock and concrete, maybe some rebar.

Town engineer came by on Monday and failed the excavation, wants
contractor to make sure the load bearing capacity of the soil
underneeth the old septic pit meets the minimum in our area, NJ all
clay two feet below grade, I think it needs to be 2500 lbs per sq ft.
So we have a soil engineer coming to test it.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this they can share with me? Not
familiar with the engineering involved in a foundation for a new home,
not like we're building a wal-mart or something. Obviously I don't
want it to shift ever, either.

Insane, absolutely insane.

The sub-surface damn sure supported a tank full of liquid for fifty years,
didn't it?

And what's the worst that could happen? YOUR deck/floor/driveway leans!

Asses, you ask me.