The Importance of Piers in Construction

The first step in the building process of our home was to evaluate the soil and land that the home was to be built on and decide the best type of foundation to build.

We knew from the unnatural lay of the land that the property we bought had been filled at some time because it was higher than the gravel road and the property to the north. This was confirmed by the previous owner. Therefore, we obtained a geotechnical engineering report to evaluate the subsurface conditions and seek recommendations for a solid foundation.

One option that was recommended was to over excavate the soil on the property 4 or 5 feet deep and replace the soil by compacting it in layers every 6-inches. This method would not guarantee Texas soils would not still shrink and swell and move the new foundation.

Another option was to use a pier and beam construction, which we felt would be a more stable solution for our investment.

The engineer designed a foundation using 30 piers excavated to bedrock at 15 feet and concrete beams connecting the piers together.

This reminded us of Matthew 7: 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”