August 30, 2025

At BC Foundations, every project tells a story. From steep slopes in the Interior to challenging soils along the coast, we bring engineered solutions to homeowners, contractors, and engineers across British Columbia. Here are a few examples of how our team has recently helped clients secure their homes and buildings:

In Kamloops, we were called to assist with a home perched on a steep slope. The challenge was stability — the soil conditions required a deep anchoring system to secure the structure safely. Using our in-house drill rig and engineered slope anchoring system, our team installed anchors that tied the foundation into stable ground. The result: a safe, durable solution that allows the homeowners to enjoy their view without worrying about slope movement.

In Vernon, a homeowner was dealing with foundation settlement that caused cracks in their drywall and uneven floors. Our solution was to install engineered helical piles beneath the home, transferring the load to stable soils far below. These piles not only stopped the settlement but provided a long-term foundation system that will protect the property for years to come.

In Salmon Arm, a steep waterfront property required a geotechnical assessment before construction could begin. Our engineers conducted a slope stability review, recommended drainage improvements, and provided a design incorporating helical piles to stabilize the building site. The combination of geotechnical expertise and deep foundation design gave the client the green light to proceed with confidence.

In Kelowna, a contractor requested our help on a custom home where structural engineering expertise was essential. We designed and certified the deep foundation system, provided sealed drawings, and conducted professional field reviews. The result was a smooth approval process and a home built on a solid foundation — literally and structurally.

These are just a few examples of how we’re serving communities across British Columbia — from Kamloops and Vernon to Salmon Arm, Kelowna, the Lower Mainland, Greater Vancouver, Sechelt, and as far north as Prince George.

Wherever you are in BC, BC Foundations is ready with engineered solutions to meet the challenge — whether it’s anchoring a home on a slope, installing helical piles for settlement, performing geotechnical assessments, or providing structural engineering.

📞 Contact us today to discuss your project.

Strong. Reliable. Foundations. Anywhere in BC.

August 30, 2025

In Richmond, BC, weak soils and high groundwater present unique challenges for building and maintaining safe foundations. Recently, our team at BC Foundations was retained to underpin an existing structure on Granville Avenue in Richmond. The home had begun to show signs of settlement, and geotechnical conditions indicated the presence of saturated sands — a soil profile common across Richmond.

Richmond is built on a delta plain composed largely of alluvial sands and silts. These soils are often loose, saturated, and prone to a geotechnical hazard known as liquefaction.

Liquefaction occurs during seismic shaking when saturated sand layers lose their strength and behave like a fluid. Instead of supporting loads, the soil can allow structures to settle, tilt, or even fail catastrophically. Because of this, foundations in Richmond require special attention to both settlement control and earthquake resilience.

In this project, the saturated sand profile extended well below surface grade, meaning that traditional shallow foundation repairs would not be effective. A deep underpinning system was needed to bypass the weak soils and transfer building loads into denser, more competent strata.

Our engineering team designed and installed a system of 2-7/8″ diameter helical piles with underpinning brackets. Each pile was advanced 35 to 40 feet into the ground, threading through the saturated sand and into a stable bearing layer below.

Key elements of the solution included:

• Deep Embedment: By extending piles well beyond the liquefiable sand layer, we ensured that the foundation load paths terminate in soils not subject to seismic strength loss.
   
• Torque Monitoring: Installation was tracked in real-time using hydraulic drive heads with torque readouts, ensuring each pile achieved the design bearing capacity before being locked into the foundation.
   
• Structural Connection: Underpinning brackets transferred the weight of the existing foundation directly to the piles, effectively bypassing the compromised soils.
   

Helical piles are particularly effective in sites like Richmond because:

• They can be installed to significant depths with relatively compact equipment.
   
• They provide measured resistance through torque-to-capacity correlation, giving engineers confidence in actual installed performance.
   
• They can be installed in saturated, granular soils without the need for large excavations, minimizing disturbance and groundwater issues.
   
• By penetrating below liquefaction-prone horizons, they provide a stable load transfer mechanism even if upper soil layers lose strength during an earthquake.
   

The underpinning system successfully stabilized the structure, halting ongoing settlement and providing a foundation designed to resist both static and seismic loads. With piles embedded 35–40 feet into competent soils, the building is now protected against the risk of foundation failure due to liquefaction — a critical consideration in Richmond’s seismic environment.

At BC Foundations, we specialize in combining geotechnical insight, structural engineering, and field expertise to deliver tailored solutions for BC’s diverse soil conditions. From Richmond’s deltaic sands to Interior slopes and Northern BC clays, our mission is the same: Strong. Reliable. Foundations. Anywhere in BC.

📞 Contact us today to learn more about our underpinning and deep foundation services.

The Lower Mainland of British Columbia is one of the fastest-growing regions in the province, with ongoing development in communities like Surrey, Langley, Maple Ridge, Abbotsford, Richmond, and Coquitlam. Yet, behind every new home, commercial building, or infrastructure project lies one of the most critical considerations for long-term stability: soil conditions.

Unlike the Interior of BC, where glacial till and bedrock often provide strong bearing layers, the Lower Mainland presents more variable and often challenging soils. Builders in Surrey and Langley regularly encounter soft clays, silts, and peat layers, particularly in areas reclaimed from floodplains.

Moving toward Richmond and Delta, soils become even more complex — loose sands and thick compressible silts dominate, sitting above a high water table. These soils are notorious for settlement, lateral movement, and poor bearing capacity, making traditional shallow foundations risky.

In Abbotsford and Maple Ridge, conditions often transition between alluvial soils along the Fraser River to dense glacial deposits closer to the foothills. Builders here must contend with both soft surface soils and buried boulders that complicate excavation and conventional concrete foundations.

Poor soil conditions in the Lower Mainland can result in:

• Excessive settlement that damages slabs, framing, and finishes.
   
• Instability of retaining walls or slopes, particularly in wet winter seasons.
   
• Costly excavation and over-engineering of traditional concrete footings.
   
• Delays in construction schedules while soil conditions are investigated and mitigated.
   

For developers, engineers, and contractors in Langley, Abbotsford, Surrey, Richmond, and Maple Ridge, the soil challenge is often the biggest hidden risk in a project.

Helical piles are steel shafts with helical plates that are rotated into the soil using hydraulic equipment. Their advantages in Lower Mainland soils include:

• Immediate load capacity in soft clays and silts.
   
• Torque-to-capacity correlation, providing real-time verification of bearing strength.
   
• Installation without vibration or massive excavation — ideal for dense neighborhoods in Richmond or Surrey.
   
• Performance in both compression and tension, making them perfect for retaining walls in Abbotsford or slope stabilization in Maple Ridge.
   

Where soils are particularly deep and weak — such as in parts of Langley floodplains or Richmond riverfront sites — micro piles offer another effective solution. They can be drilled through poor soils and socketed into dense layers or rock, providing:

• High load capacity even in the most challenging conditions.
   
• Resistance to both settlement and lateral movement.
   
• Flexibility in sites with restricted access or low headroom.
   

The growing demand for housing and infrastructure in Surrey, Langley, Abbotsford, and Richmond means building on soils that were never originally intended to carry heavy structures. Instead of fighting these conditions with expensive excavation and oversized concrete foundations, helical piles and micro piles provide a cost-effective, proven, and engineer-approved solution.

At BC Foundations, we’ve seen firsthand how these systems transform difficult soil conditions into opportunities for reliable construction. Whether it’s a new townhouse development in Langley, a slope stabilization project in Maple Ridge, or commercial upgrades in Surrey and Abbotsford, the principle remains the same: the right foundation system makes the land safe and the project viable.

Soils in the Lower Mainland vary widely — from compressible silts in Richmond to river deposits in Abbotsford and clay lenses in Langley. What they all share is a challenge for builders who want safe, durable, and efficient foundations.

Helical piles and micro piles are the modern answer. They bring confidence to construction in the Lower Mainland’s most difficult soils, allowing projects to move forward with stability and efficiency.

👉 If you’re planning a project in Surrey, Langley, Abbotsford, Maple Ridge, or Richmond, contact BC Foundations to learn how we can design and install the right pile solution for your site.