Eagle Ford Formation & Group Soil Type | Pinnacle Foundation Repair

There are many factors that need to be considered when it comes to determining what the soil is like in your local area. Before foundation work can be carried out, an understanding of the soil type is a must.

In Eagle Ford, the soil is referred to as “black gumbo”, and it contains bentonite, as well as impure clay from volcanic ash that has weathered, which has a differential contraction/swell that is as great as seven inches.

This covers the following areas:

Why do soils change from one place to another?

A lot of different factors come to play when determining why soils differ from one place to the next. We will take a look at these key factors so you can get a better understanding. They range from the climate in the area to the terrain, the sort of plant life, and the vegetation that is present. Also, we cannot ignore that humans have had an impact, as well as the parent material, which is a reference to the rocks from which the soil has come from.

Let’s start by looking at the terrain. This makes an impact because it determines how freely the water can be drained away. If the land in an area is mainly flat, this can result in a lot of waterlogging because there are not many gradients, which means that both lateral and sideway flow are not promoted. On the flip side, if the land features many slopes, this promotes quick drainage because the water is able to run off or percolate in a rapid manner.

The climate is another factor that plays a big role. There are a lot of different types of climatic regions across the globe, and there is a specific sort of soil for each type. For instance, a common example is tundra soil, which can often be found in very cold climates, which consequently means that there is not a simple organic material breakdown.

In addition to this, we look at the parent material when determining the sort of rock in an area. The parent rock will develop in a specific location and this is going to influence the type of soil that will develop in the end. For example, in an area where there is a lot of sandstone, you will find that the soil that forms is usually coarse, sandy, and well-drained because of the weathering of the rock.

As has been discussed, plants also have a vital role to play. The plant and vegetation life will differ based on the region’s climate and other factors. Plants also have a significant impact on the way the soil develops. Nutrients are taken from the ground while organic material is added to the soil’s surface.

Why does the soil type matter?

Now that you know about the different types of soil and what influences this, it is important to touch upon why this matters. Before any sort of foundation repair work is conducted, we need to make sure that this is actually required. Understanding the geological content of the soil at present can assist with this. The composition of the soil can differ considerably from one patch of soil to the next, and there are numerous reasons why this happens. If a foundation repair is needed, there are lots of things that could be required, from a different sort of pier system to a different drainage system.

As a consequence, having a basic understanding of the physics and applied mechanics at play is vital when assessing a potential foundation repair. A direct correlation between the reason for the soil moving and the movement of the foundation must be determined so that the correct foundation repair can be carried out. Based on the plasticity index of the clay soil, the amount of shrinking or swelling is going to differ. This is why data is imperative in figuring out what solution is going to be right for long-term stability.

Contact us today for more information about the soil in Eagle Ford

If you would like to find out more about our foundation repair services in Eagle Ford and the soil type here, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us today for more information. You can reach us on 972 251 0018 and you will speak to an experienced and friendly expert from our team who will be happy to help you in any way possible.