This is an example of making something out of nothing in the La Jolla Hills. These clients have an awesome view, and no back yard. By utilizing caisson and grade beam construction along with structural steel beams and lightweight concrete, we were able to create a magnificent entertainment platform.  The series of concrete walls that we built on top of the grade beams, allowed them to gain 900 sq ft of living space below the deck. They now have the game room they only dreamed of. 

In the beginning of this project, the slope seemed almost non-accessible. We excavated an access road, moved on with a drill rig, and bore caissons that not only stabilized the existing slope, but were also the cornerstones for the grade beams that followed.  You can see from the finished product pictures, that these clients now have not only their awesome view, but a place to entertain and enjoy friends and family.

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Here are some kind words from one of our satisfied concrete foundation customers in La Jolla:

“We were building a new custom home in the Bird Rock area of La Jolla. We saw T. E. Nevares Concrete’s crews and trucks working on many other projects in the area. When I contacted Tom Nevares, owner of T.E. Nevares Concrete, he quickly put my concrete foundation concerns to rest. After a short conversation, I could tell Tom was well versed and had vast experience in large scale concrete foundations work. My experience with Tom and his company from  a business as well as construction aspects, were both very professional and pleasant. The whole crew was clean, fast, respectful and really did a bang up job for us.”

H.L. Wiggins

La Jolla

1. Inadequate drainage and water control  away from concrete foundation

2. Expansive soil conditions under concrete foundation

3. Inadequate compaction techniques used under concrete foundation at time of construction

Soil conditions that impact foundation repairs in the San Diego area fall into three main categories:

1. Point Loma formation, is an excellent material to build foundations on. However, San Diego coastal areas where this formation is found, are full of cliffs, valleys and peaks. When developers first started building foundations for San Diego area houses, many were built in the coastal areas. Having primarily sloped conditions in these areas, developers would cut and fill prior to foundation construction.  Inadequate compaction techniques used during this era were the leading contributor to the need for foundation repairs in these areas. A typical remedy for a cut and fill situation would be a caisson and grade beam/underpinning type of foundation repair.

2. High clay content soils found largely in the La Mesa/Santee (San Diego’s East County) area. Water is the number one offender in expansive soil conditions and a big contributor to the need for concrete foundation repair. Lack of control of adequate drainage can greatly affect these soil conditions and cause foundations to heave. Concrete Foundation repair for this type of situation would be a combination of remove and replace existing interior foundation with structural slab and underpin perimeter of existing foundation. Foundation repairs of this type definately require temporary re-location of the occupants. 

3. Steep slope type situations in San Diego are desirable to builders because of the views available from being at the top of a slope. However, much planning and consideration must be put into practice prior to foundation construction. In the old days, San Diego city requirements were inadequate. Today’s seven foot to daylight rule is what should have been done all along. Foundation repairs for slope type installations typically require shoring of the existing structure and a combination of caisson and grade beam and retaining wall fixes. 

T.E. Nevares Concrete has extensive experience in concrete foundation repair in all types of soil conditions throughout San Diego County. We are proud to say that we can get in quick, clean and safe, exercising the highest degree of professionalism for  your San Diego area concrete foundation repair.

Here is an excerpted version of an article written by Balvant Rajani, on the best practices that will help ensure good long-term performance, safety and comfort of concrete sidewalks. 

The average service life of concrete sidewalks in San Diego is 20 to 40 years, but failure can occur as early as one to five years after construction. Many of the problems of sidewalks in San Diego are the result of lack of attention to detail during the design and construction stages. This Update describes practices that prolong San Diego sidewalk life and in so doing, advance the four key sidewalk attributes: safety, comfort, appearance, and life-cycle cost performance. 

Sidewalk Subgrade

The sidewalk subgrade is the native soil that is graded and compacted to provide an even surface to support the sidewalk. The sidewalk subgrade material should have uniform stiffness to avoid differing frost or expansion characteristics. In some cases, the sidewalk concrete is placed directly on the subgrade, but it is strongly recommended that a granular sub-base be placed between the native soil and the concrete slab.

A concrete sidewalk is typically a 100 to 150 mm thick slab on grade. Usually, the distance between construction joints (slab length) is marginally larger than the width of the sidewalk.

In harsh conditions, most sidewalks crack in both longitudinal and transversal directions. In general, longitudinal sidewalk cracks can be attributed to seasonal changes, and transversal cracks to non-uniform compaction of the subgrade rather than the degree of compaction. The studies also showed that sidewalks overlying higher plasticity soils had a higher incidence of longitudinal sidewalk cracks.

Clay soils with a moisture content higher than optimum have less tendency to swell after compaction because the soil structure becomes more oriented. Consequently, adding moisture to a clay subgrade prior to compaction will reduce the tendency of the soil to swell after the sidewalk has been constructed. It is also known that a moisture content higher than optimum increases subgrade shrinkage, another cause of sidewalk deterioration. Even so, experience shows that in clay soils, the advantage of wetting the clay outweighs the risk of sidewalk cracking due to shrinkage in the sidewalk subgrade.

Rigid body uplift is the tendency for a sidewalk slab to rise equally or tilt as a result of expansive native soils or frost action. Removing known frost-susceptible materials and replacing them with granular sub-base material can reduce movement.

For optimum long-term performance, proper preparation of the sidewalk subgrade is essential. This means that levelling and compaction should be avoided when frost is present. When the subgrade is shaped, large embedded objects should be removed and the soil compacted to 95% Standard Proctor density. The uniformity of the compaction is just as important as the degree of compaction. Good uniform compaction diminishes the differential settlement of the concrete sidewalk and hence reduces the development of longitudinal, transverse, and D-cracks.

Sidewalk Sub-base

A sub-base is a layer of granular material (usually 150 mm) placed on top of the prepared sidewalk subgrade to provide a cushion for uniform support by bridging over minor subgrade defects. The granular sub-base also diminishes the development of suction that leads to tensile-shrinkage failures. This is particularly important where the underlying sidewalk subgrade soil is susceptible to shrinkage due to moisture depletion. The gradation of the granular sub-base should be within a specified range. The sub-base should be uniform in depth and be compacted to 95% Standard Proctor density.

A sidewalk sub-base is not always provided but the best practice for sidewalk construction includes a sub-base. The additional expenditure will be recouped through increased service life.

Sidewalk Concrete

The quality of the concrete mostly affects the top 6 mm (the wearing surface) of a sidewalk. No special attributes are necessary for sidewalk concrete, but specifications should include the following information: strength (25 to 35 MPa), minimum cement content (333 kg/m³), maximum size of coarse aggregate (19 mm), slump (50 to 100 mm) and air entrainment (5.5 to 8%).

a) In cold temperatures, sidewalk concrete needs to be protected from freezing for at least five days after placement. For forecast temperatures around 0 to -3°C, the concrete needs to be covered with polyethylene sheeting. For colder temperatures, two sheets of polyethylene separated by 300 mm of straw or a similar degree of insulation needs to be provided.

b) For warm temperatures, wet-curing or the application of a liquid membrane-forming curing compound is needed to ensure there is adequate moisture in the concrete while its strength is developing. The curing should be initiated immediately after finishing because the sidewalk concrete surface will dry within 20 to 30 minutes in sunny, windy and warm conditions.

Most concrete sidewalks are constructed without using steel reinforcement. In fact, deformation, the main cause of concrete failure, cannot be effectively eliminated through reinforcement. For this reason, best practices do not call for reinforcement. However, sidewalks that traverse driveway entrances will experience normal vehicle loads and occasional truck loads. It is preferable to use steel reinforcement mesh for these locations. Far greater benefits can be realized through stricter attention to the subgrade preparation.

The general practices of good concrete construction that apply to floor slabs also apply to sidewalks and can be summarized as follows:

1. Formwork: Forms should be straight, free from warping, and strong enough to resist the lateral pressure of the concrete. A form release agent should be applied to ease stripping. (Formwork is not required for sidewalks constructed using the extrusion process.)

2. Concrete placement: Sidewalk concrete should be placed continuously as close as possible to its final position and be consolidated.

3. Finishing: After the concrete is levelled, the desired surface finish is applied and should be protected from damage during the curing period.

4. Curing: Curing has a significant influence on the wear resistance of the surface. The type of curing required is determined by weather conditions as follows:

Sidewalk Joints

Expansion joints consisting of 12 mm of compressible material should be placed at 15-m intervals along the sidewalk and wherever the sidewalk abuts another rigid structure. The joints allow the sidewalk to move independently without damage.

Control joints (cut lines) should be provided at intervals of about 1.2 to 2 m transversely along the length of the sidewalk. The joint is a saw cut or trowel cut about one quarter the depth of the slab that provides a weak plane in the slab where cracking can occur without marring the appearance of the sidewalk on the upper surface.

Changing the geometry of the slab is an easy and economical method for reducing sidewalk damage compared to remedies like adding reinforcing steel, which don’t necessarily help. As most cracking occurs longitudinally along the centreline, providing a control joint along the centreline will provide a plane for controlled cracking to occur without marring the appearance of the surface.

In effect, a centreline control joint breaks the slab into smaller segments, allowing the concrete slab-on-grade sidewalk to function more like a paver stone sidewalk. There is some resistance to this recommendation because it alters the familiar appearance of the sidewalk. In areas where longitudinal cracking is not a concern, the centreline control joint could be omitted. However, where there is a strong likelihood of longitudinal cracking, the appearance of a centreline control joint is far more acceptable than the jagged appearance of cracks.

Sidewalk Landscaping

Trees can damage sidewalks by causing uplift. Generally, this damage occurs after many years when the tree and roots are large. Once the damage begins to occur, it is difficult to repair the sidewalk without removing the problem roots, action that could damage the health of the tree or make it less wind-firm.

For this reason, forethought is recommended at the planting stage. Trees should be selected that will tolerate the moisture, soil and air quality characteristics of the site. In general, trees should be kept back from the edge of sidewalks about two sidewalk widths. Where they are located closer to the sidewalk, shrubs or trees that are moderately sized upon maturity should be selected. Deep-root trees such as oaks and maples are preferable to shallow-rooted trees like spruces and poplars.

Sidewalk Condition Monitoring

The ability of a sidewalk to resist deformation is predetermined by the quality of the construction and preventative maintenance cannot alter this.

It is important for municipalities to protect the public by knowing the condition of sidewalks through regular inspections. It is recommended that inspection and condition ratings occur at an interval of four to five years. For sidewalks subject to high pedestrian traffic or a large number of senior citizens, inspection intervals of one to two years may be warranted. Condition rating recording will help ensure the best repair and replacement decisions are made. 

Sidewalk Repairs

As a crack widens or faulting (differential elevation across a crack) increases, a tripping hazard develops. A crack 10 to 12 mm will entrap stroller wheels, roller blades, pointed shoe heels, and walking canes. A fault height of 20 to 25 mm is a tripping hazard that can expose pedestrians to serious injury. Sidewalks with cracks and faults of this magnitude should be repaired as soon possible. The use of a regular condition reporting system will help schedule repairs before defects become a safety problem.

Sidewalks with crack widths exceeding 10 to 12 mm should be corrected by replacement or repair. Some crack-filling cement-based products are available but their long-term performance has not been proven. It is likely that the longevity of the repair will be related to how well the surfaces of the existing concrete are prepared.

A trip edge less than 20 mm high can be removed by grinding using the same specialized equipment used to refurbish existing sidewalk-street interfaces for wheelchair access.

Sidewalks that have undergone rigid body movement (tilt or uniform movement) can be re-levelled using mud jacking as long as the sidewalk is free of cracks and has no significant loss of slab thickness from spalling or crumbling of concrete.

A grout or slurry injected into holes (63 to 75 mm in diameter) cored in the concrete sidewalk first fills any voids beneath the slab and then the hydrostatic pressure forces the slab to rise. The core holes should be strategically placed and the slabs should be lifted in small increments to avoid damage to the slab and adjoining slabs. It may also be necessary to saw cut the sidewalks at cut joints to reduce the risk of lifting adjacent slabs.

Mud jacking is about 10 to 50% the cost of new construction and requires careful application. The cost of mud jacking can vary dramatically between jurisdictions depending on locally available expertise and equipment.

Summary

Sidewalks are important for the safe movement of pedestrians. The long-term performance of sidewalks is determined by the quality of the materials and construction methods. Regular condition inspection and rating at four- or five-year intervals will help protect the public and ensure the best decisions for repair or replacement are made.

In 1976, Tom Nevares got his start in the concrete business, working first as a laborer and eventually getting involved with  many phases of both residential and commercial concrete work throughout the San Diego area. In the late ’70’s he went to work for R.E. Hazzard Contracting and L.R. Hubbard Construction, and was exposed to many aspects of highway, bridge and prison work. Super-structure concrete has been his forte since the beginning of his career in the San Diego concrete industry.  Later in Tom’s career, he ran concrete jobs for several different San Diego contractors in foreman and superintendent capacities. During this time, he took preparation courses for the California State surveyers license, as well as educating himself in drafting and blueprint reading.

Tom got his first sole proprietorship license in 1992 to establish his own San Diego concrete business, and incorporated in 1999. Today, Nevares Concrete specializes in all phases of the concrete business, including concrete and masonry, as well as decorative concrete.

Custom Flat Work Exposed Aggregate and Acid Wash

Concrete Flatwork in San Diego (sometimes referred to as finish concrete)  used to be considered mostly for simple driveways, sidewalks and patios. But with all the new concrete colorants, additives, finishes and textures, flatwork is beginning to be thought of as both an art and a concrete specialty. Stamped concrete, integral coloring, exposed aggregate, steps with check walls, & acid stain coloring are just a few of the options available for residential, commercial and public projects in San Diego.

North County Coastal: La Jolla, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, Solana Beach, Cardiff, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos

North County Inland: Mira Mesa, Miramar, Poway, Scripps Ranch, Sabre Springs, Rancho Bernardo, Escondido, Valley Center, Ramona, Julian

East County: La Mesa, El Cajon, Lemon Grove, Santee, Lakeside, Alpine, Jamul, Rancho San Diego

South County: Chula Vista, Bonita, National City, San Ysidro, Otay Mesa

San Diego Central: Clairemont, Mission Valley, Pacific Beach, Mission Hills, Hillcrest, North Park, Kensington, Normal Heights, College area

Stamped Concrete Wall and Floor

Custom stamped concrete can be used in many San Diego residential and commercial applications. Outdoors,  stamped concrete enhances the look of driveways, patios, pool decks and walkways. And insides, basement floors can take on the natural appearance of slate, cobblestone or fieldstone. Custom stamped concrete can be more durable than conventional concrete, and fills the same construction needs as regular concrete.

Stamped concrete is several times stronger than brick pavers and other paving systems. Stamped concrete is non-porous when finished – making it water-proof and stain and weather resistant. 

Problems commonly encountered with hand-laid products are avoided with custom stamped concrete. Vegetation will not grow between individual bricks, and it won’t shift due to frost or other climate or earth moving situations.

Pool Deck Tile Base

Building a concrete pool deck in San Diego should be done with careful planning and the right contractor.  T.E. Nevares Concrete has extensive experience in concrete pool decking throughout San Diego County.  Here’s is a reprint of an article on constructing concrete pools decks from Bob Vila.com, a great website on all types of home construction:

Concrete Pool Decks (San Diego)

A concrete pool deck must be safe, slip-resistant, and easy on the feet. Creating a deck that will last is another issue. Textures and coatings can give you a lasting deck to match your needs and weather challenges.