Isolate basement partition walls

My basement slab has heaved upwards, and taken up all of the void in the partition walls in the basement. The structural engineer recomended lowering the adjustable columns, however, there is no room between the I-Beam and floor as the I beam is sitting directly on top of the partition walls.

How does one go about re-creating a new void in the partition walls?

 

Welcome to the forums!

What do you mean by "the void in the partition walls"? Was there space between the top plate of the walls and the bottom of the I-beam before the slab was lifted?

 

Expansive soils?

Very often there a detail used to provide a gap for non-bearing walls.

Dick

 

The slab has heaved upwards enough to use up the entire void space. Previously, the guy who finished the basement did not leave enough space for movement of the slab. And we have expansive soils, which has heaved both the basement floor (slab) and the pier upwards. In order to level the main floor, we must first re-create the void on the partition walls, then lower the adjustable columns downward.

 

From what I read about expansive soils, they expand when they get wet and shrink when they dry out. So when you get hit with a drought, your house will probably sag in places that expanded when wet. That means any alterations you do now will need to be undone then. Seems to me you might better use your time and resources by making sure you have adequate drainage and slope around your house to keep the soils under your house from getting wet in the first place.

 

That's why the house has this system:What goes up can come down!

Bikebum, haw are the partition walls framed? Are they standard stud walls with a top plate plate and a sole plate?

Some pictures might help us see what you're faced with. See How To Put Pictures In Your Post.

 

Wow nantucket, you sure are smart. My basement has adjustable columns too (probably 90% of these columns sold are adjustable), but that doesn't mean I want to be cranking them up and down with the change of every season.

All I was trying to say was, maybe he has malfunctioning gutters, or rain leaders that dont drain far enough from the house, or fouled up french drains, or ground that doesn't slope away from the house. IMO, its better (if possible) to fix the cause of the problem rather than just fixing the result. Maybe keeping the water away from the house will keep the ground under from getting saturated and heaving in the first place.

 

Oh, I don't know about that. I do know, though, that I haven't addressed another member by the wrong name in a very long time - maybe ever.

Maybe he does. All good points worth investigating.

 

Sorry Nashkat1. It was late and I probably should have been in bed. No disrespect intended. I was to lazy to scroll down a few times to get the spelling right.

That said, I hope bikebum does send us some pictures. im curious now. I wonder how much his slab actually heaves.

 

So you have to create a new space under the framed walls, carefully... There are possibly hundreds of pounds load on the top plates now, due to the framing, appliances, etc. I would not be surprised if you now have new drywall fixes in front of you... From a quick internet search for those that don't understand voids under walls, "A picture is worth..."; http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...Kjk3g_JetQ2FPQ

Gary

 

Nice article, Gary. Thanks for the link.