Foundation glossary
Quick definitions you’ll hear on a Blackland clay inspection. Not engineering advice.
- Post-tension slab
- A concrete slab with steel cables tensioned after the pour. Common in newer Central Texas homes; repair conversations differ from conventional rebar slabs.
- Pier (push / pressed / helical)
- A deep support point that transfers load below the active clay zone. Push/pressed and helical are the two families you’ll hear most often here.
- Shim
- A spacer used under beams on pier-and-beam homes to adjust level. Sometimes part of a re-level; sometimes a temporary measure.
- Elevation survey
- A map of relative floor heights across the house. The baseline for deciding whether movement is worth repairing.
- Heave vs. settlement
- Heave is the soil pushing up (often wet clay). Settlement is the soil or fill dropping. Both can crack finishes; the fix depends on which you’re dealing with.
- PE letter
- A written opinion from a licensed professional engineer. Often requested for sales, lenders, or complex repairs — separate from the contractor’s inspection.