Services we provide to homeowners
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Drilled and Grouted Tie-Back Anchors
These can be from 1 inch diameter up to 8 inch diameter typically range from 10 feet deep to 100 feet deep in tension capacities of a thousand pounds to 1 million pounds.
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Helical Anchors and Piles
In the right soil conditions these are quick and efficient at developing tension or compression loads from a thousand pounds to 500 thousand pounds. Depths typically range from 10 feet to about 100 feet deep and can be installed vertically or horizontally. Square shaft helices come in 1.25”, 1.5”, 1.75”, and 2.25” material. Pipe Helices are made in many sizes such as 2-7/8”, 3-1/2”, 4”, 5”, 6”, 7”, 8”, 9’”, 10”, 12”, 14”, 24” diameters.
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Landslide Remediation / Hillside Stabilization
Whether they were created by acts of nature or caused by breaking of water lines, PLIsystems has many tools and equipment to repair the landslides. We incorporate tie-back anchors, drill piles shotcrete, soil nails and many other techniques to solve the problem.
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Wall Construction
Walls maybe built with driven pipe piles, driven wide flange piles drilled piles tie-back anchors, concrete or shotcrete, soil nails and shotcrete, gabion baskets, small concrete blocks or large concrete blocks such as ultra-block, or other geo-grid.
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Underpinning
Underpinning is the process of strengthening the foundation of an existing building or other structure. Underpinning may be necessary for a variety of reasons:
- The original foundation is simply not strong or stable enough.
- The usage of the structure has changed.
- The properties of the soil supporting the foundation may have changed (possibly through subsidence) or were mischaracterized during design.
- The construction of nearby structures necessitates the excavation of soil supporting existing foundations.
- To increase the depth or load capacity of existing foundations to support the addition of another storey to the building (above or below grade).
- It is more economical, due to land price or otherwise, to work on the present structure’s foundation than to build a new one.
- Earthquake, flood, drought or other natural causes have caused the structure to move, thereby requiring stabilisation of foundation soils and/or footings.
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Micropiles
Micropiles, also called mini piles, are often used for underpinning. They are also used to create foundations for a variety of project types, including highway, bridge and transmission tower projects. They are especially useful at sites with difficult or restricted access, or with environmental sensitivity.[8][9] Micropiles are made of steel with diameters of 60 to 200 mm. Installation of micropiles through top soil, sand and cobblestones overburden and into soil rock can be achieved using Air Rotary or Mud Rotary drilling, impact driving, jacking, vibrating or screwing machinery.
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Soil Nails
Soil nailing is a construction technique that can be used as a remedial measure to treat unstable natural soil slopes or as a construction technique that allows the safe over-steepening of new or existing soil slopes. The technique involves the insertion of relatively slender reinforcing elements into the slope – often general purpose reinforcing bars (rebar) although proprietary solid or hollow-system bars are also available. Solid bars are usually installed into pre-drilled holes and then grouted into place using a separate grout line, whereas hollow bars may be drilled and grouted simultaneously by the use of a sacrificial drill bit and by pumping grout down the hollow bar as drilling progresses.
Residential Projects
Olsen & Jones Garage – Portland, OR
Specialty Contractor: PLI Systems, Inc.
General Contractor: Olson & Jones
Geotechnical Engineer: Earth Engineers Inc.
Structural Engineer: SCE
Two 12-foot-wide by 20-foot-long precast concrete vaults with 12-foot opening in the middle to connect them were installed to create a spacious two-car garage. The two stalls create a partially open room feel because of their 12-foot opening in the interior.
The garage vaults were transported and delivered with a crane in one day to minimize any disturbance to the neighbors.
A concrete grade beam, 5 feet deep is located in front of the garage to counter sliding forces.
Light-weight, pervious cellular concrete was installed on top of the garage and the slope behind to create a useful rooftop space and planting terraces. The weight of the cellular concrete is 22 to 25 pounds per cubic foot. This is about 4.5 times lighter than soil. The cellular concrete used has approximately 60 to 100 psi compressive strength.
Dixon Home
Specialty Contractor: PLI Systems, Inc.
General Contractor: PLI Systems, Inc.
Geotechnical Engineer: Terra Dolce Consultants, Inc.
Structural Engineer: Cascade Engineering, Inc.
Landscape Architect: Quatrefoil, Inc.
A pile and tieback wall was constructed to stabilize the home, which was settling. In addition, the backyard became usable for the owners.
PLI Systems, inc. drilled shafts with a flight auger system attached to a spider excavator. This was the only possible way to get the job done. Driving piles was not an option due to the potential for vibrations on the steep slope with neighbors nearby.
Wide flange piles were installed in the shafts and backfilled with concrete.
Titan 40/16 tieback anchors were used to resist lateral forces.
Steel square tubes served as walers to make the connection between the tieback anchors and the pile.
The material between the piles is double twisted fabric. This idea was developed by PLI Systems, Inc, a few decades ago.
Otis / Tillmam Project
Removed unstable concrete deck and added piles for new deck. We also installed drilled and grouted tiebacks for seismic upgrade.
Beautiful and Unpredictable Ocean
The PLI Systems Inc team worked all week to shore one of the homes that is in most danger of being claimed by the Pacific Ocean. Who name this ocean the “Pacific Ocean” anyways? I would have named it the “Beautiful and Unpredictable Ocean”.
The state of Oregon passed a rule (Goal 18), that prohibits property owners from protecting their properties with boulders / rip rap or solid walls of concrete or steel along the beach. You are only allowed to use soft material to protect against the ocean. Beach grass would be acceptable. Only people that developed their property before 1977 can install walls or rip rap protection.
As you can see from the photo, our clients are not allowed to protect their homes while the neighbors are protected and sleeping soundly like babies. Our clients are fighting the state with lawyers at this point to be allowed to save their homes. In the meantime, PLI Systems Inc is working with Eric Watson of Miller Consulting Engineers and Jonathan Ciampi of Geo Mechanics to propose a permanent protection system in case our clients win the battle with the state.
If you plan on building close to the ocean, a river or a cliff, contact a capable geologist or geotechnical engineer before you purchase or build. Sometimes it is easy to see if a property has a low risk of having erosion issues or land movement. Other times, it is best if you pay a company like PLI Systems Inc and a geotechnical engineer to bring proper equipment and drill deep into the soil to collect soil and rock samples. The $8,000 to $10,000 you will invest up front can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars later.
With more than 30 years of experience, PLI Systems has the expertise and equipment to handle almost any residential soil and foundation stabilization problem. We have gathered specialized equipment from all over the world and have hired experts from various fields to train our employees. From stabilizing settling foundations to remediating landslides, PLI Systems is the one company that does it all.
Contact Us Today
PLI Systems has the expertise and equipment to handle almost any soil and foundation stabilization problem. We have gathered specialized equipment from all over the world.