This next series focuses on the back wall, underneath the kitchen upstairs.
Prior to lifting the house, dirt sloped up to meet the ceiling at the back. The contractor dug this out using handheld power tools. This was done by hand to make way for the steel beam & crib needed to lift and support the house.
After lifting the house, the big guns came in and started mechanical excavation. This is the same wall, dug down about half way.
It was dug out in two phases. The dirt was stabilized with shotcrete and steel tied into the pillars. Notice the light colored stripe across the dirt. This is the separation layer between stable soil (below) and the landslide soil (above). We're now clearly below the landside, into "good" dirt.
The walls were reinforced with a double layer of steel before application of structural shotcrete. The concrete is 12" thick along the back, and 8" to 10" in other locations.
Here's the finished back wall, from the same perspective as the first photo. The shotcrete has been smoothed on the right, as this will be a utility room. On the left, it was left rough, and we will apply a nicer finish to it after completion.
The next four photos are of the back corner (the kitchen). This corner is the location that "stuck up," as I talked about in my original post in this thread.
Near the start of the project, after the demolition of the concrete patio.
Three pits were dug in the back yard to place cribs to support the steel beams. Concrete pads were poured inside the pits to address the issue of soft, wet dirt.
After lifting, this is the same corner of the house as viewed from the side. We had a lot of dry rot in this location.
The back wall was reframed to support the weight of the house upon lowering. We still have much work to do in this location, including replacement of the rotten window.
