Commercial Foundation Experts
Engineered foundation systems for Plano's challenging expansive clay soils. Deep pier foundations, spread footings, grade beams, and slab-on-grade systems designed by structural engineers and built by ACI-certified crews. Over 400,000 square feet of commercial foundations poured across North Texas with zero structural failures.
Structural concrete foundations are the literal bedrock of every commercial building—transferring dead loads, live loads, wind loads, and seismic forces from the structure into the supporting soil. In Plano, foundation design is particularly critical due to the prevalence of expansive clay soils that can exert significant uplift forces and cause differential movement if not properly engineered.
The Plano area sits on what geotechnical engineers classify as high-plasticity clay (often designated as "CH" or "Fat Clay" in soil boring reports). These soils have plasticity index (PI) values ranging from 30-60, meaning they experience substantial volume change with moisture fluctuations. During North Texas wet seasons, clay soils absorb water and expand (heave). During dry periods, they lose moisture and shrink (settle). This cyclical movement can exceed 4-6 inches of vertical displacement if foundations aren't designed to resist or accommodate it.
Concrete Contractors of Plano has poured over 400,000 square feet of commercial foundations across Collin County. We've worked on everything from single-story tilt-wall warehouses to multi-story office buildings, always coordinating with geotechnical engineers to select the optimal foundation system. Our ACI-certified crews understand the critical difference between surface bearing footings (which work on stable soils) and deep pier systems (required for expansive clays)—and we never cut corners on foundation engineering to save upfront costs.
A properly engineered foundation system costs 12-18% of total building construction but determines whether your Plano facility will experience cracked slabs, stuck doors, misaligned racking systems, or costly post-construction repairs. We've seen developers try to save $30,000 on foundation engineering only to spend $200,000+ on slab crack repair, structural retrofits, and tenant disruption within 3-5 years. Our approach: invest in geotechnical investigation upfront ($3,000-$8,000 for soil borings), design foundations for actual site conditions, and build them right the first time.
Foundation Systems
Deep foundation system for heavy structural loads
Common Applications
Typical Specifications
Isolated footings under columns or load-bearing walls
Common Applications
Typical Specifications
Reinforced beams connecting footings or piers
Common Applications
Typical Specifications
Monolithic slab with thickened edges
Common Applications
Typical Specifications
Plano Soil Conditions
Understanding and properly designing for Plano's challenging soil conditions is the difference between a foundation that performs for decades and one that requires expensive repairs within 5 years. Here's how we address the three primary soil challenges:
Plano sits on high-plasticity clay soils that expand when wet and shrink when dry, causing up to 4-6 inches of vertical movement
Impact
Critical consideration for all Plano foundations
Engineering Solutions
North Texas experiences significant rainfall variation (wet springs, dry summers) causing seasonal soil volume changes
Impact
Affects long-term foundation performance
Engineering Solutions
Soil boring reports in Plano show bearing capacity ranging from 1,500 PSF to 4,000+ PSF depending on depth and location
Impact
Determines foundation type and sizing
Engineering Solutions
Every Plano commercial project should commission a geotechnical investigation before foundation design. This typically costs $3,000-$8,000 and includes 3-6 soil borings to depths of 15-25 feet, laboratory testing to determine soil plasticity and bearing capacity, and written recommendations for foundation type, depth, and design parameters. Without this data, structural engineers must use conservative assumptions that often result in over-designed (expensive) foundations—or worse, under-designed foundations that fail prematurely. We refuse to bid foundation work without reviewing a project-specific geotechnical report, as it's the only way to provide accurate pricing and ensure long-term performance.
Our Process
We review your soils report, bearing capacity recommendations, and any deep foundation requirements with your geotechnical engineer. In Plano, we typically work with local firms who understand North Texas clay characteristics and can advise on pier depth, footing sizing, and moisture mitigation strategies.
Our team reviews structural foundation plans with your engineer to verify rebar schedules, concrete strength requirements, embed plate locations, and connection details. We identify any value engineering opportunities while maintaining full code compliance with ACI 318 and Texas Building Code.
Excavation to design depths, compaction of subgrade, installation of vapor barriers and insulation (if specified), and construction of foundation forms. For drilled piers, we use truck-mounted augers to reach design depths and verify bearing strata per geotechnical engineer's recommendations.
Placement of rebar cages, dowels, embed plates, and anchor bolts per structural shop drawings. Our ACI-certified crews maintain proper concrete cover, bar spacing, and splice lengths. Third-party special inspectors verify rebar before concrete placement.
High-strength concrete (3,000-5,000 PSI depending on application) is placed, vibrated thoroughly to eliminate voids, and finished to final grade. We coordinate concrete delivery from Plano-area batch plants to ensure continuous placement without cold joints.
Foundations are cured per ACI 308 requirements—typically 7 days moist curing or application of curing compound. We protect concrete from freezing (rare in Plano but critical when it occurs) and excessive heat during North Texas summers. Strength testing confirms design strength before downstream trades load the foundation.
Foundation Questions
The optimal foundation system for Plano commercial buildings depends on three factors: building size/weight, soil conditions at your specific site, and budget. For single-story warehouses and tilt-wall buildings on decent soils (2,000+ PSF bearing capacity), spread footings with grade beams are most economical ($8-$14 per square foot of building). For multi-story buildings, poor soils, or high water tables, drilled pier foundations (also called caissons) are required ($25-$45 per linear foot depending on depth). Post-tension slab-on-grade systems work well for light industrial and office buildings ($5-$9 per square foot). We always start by reviewing your geotechnical report—Plano soil conditions vary significantly even within the same development, and the soils engineer's bearing capacity recommendations drive the foundation design. Our team can provide cost comparisons for different foundation systems once we review your site-specific soils data.
Plano sits on high-plasticity clay soils (often classified as CH or CL in geotechnical reports) that experience significant swelling and shrinkage. The active zone—where seasonal moisture changes cause soil movement—typically extends 5-8 feet below grade in most of Plano, but can reach 10-12 feet in some areas. For this reason, drilled pier foundations in Plano generally extend 10-15 feet deep to bear on stable soil below the active zone. Spread footings (when permitted by the geotechnical engineer) are typically placed 24-36 inches below grade but must be sized larger to account for lower bearing capacities. The exact depth requirements come from your project-specific geotechnical investigation—we always defer to the soils engineer's recommendations rather than using rule-of-thumb depths.
Yes. We coordinate closely with your geotechnical engineer throughout the foundation construction process. While we don't perform the initial soils investigation (that's typically hired directly by the developer or general contractor), we review the geotechnical report, discuss bearing capacity recommendations and pier depths with the soils engineer, and ensure our construction matches their specifications. During construction, we arrange for third-party testing labs to perform field density tests on compacted fill, concrete cylinder tests on foundation concrete, and any required proof-testing of drilled piers. On Plano projects, we frequently work with local geotechnical firms including Terracon, Earthworks, and ORION who understand North Texas clay behavior. This coordination ensures your foundation is engineered for actual site conditions, not generic assumptions.
Foundation timelines vary significantly based on building size and foundation type. For a 50,000 sq ft warehouse with spread footings and grade beams, the foundation work typically takes 3-4 weeks: Week 1 is excavation, forming, and rebar installation. Week 2 is foundation concrete placement, initial curing, and foundation wall forming (if required). Week 3 is foundation wall concrete placement and continued curing. Week 4 is backfilling and subgrade preparation for slab. For drilled pier foundations, add 1-2 weeks for pier drilling, rebar cage installation, and concrete placement. For post-tension slab-on-grade systems, the foundation perimeter (grade beams) takes 2 weeks, then the slab can be poured immediately after. We provide detailed schedules during estimating so your Plano general contractor can sequence downstream trades accurately.
Our Plano structural foundation packages include all labor, materials, and equipment for complete below-grade work: excavation to design depths, subgrade compaction, vapor barrier installation (if specified), rebar fabrication and installation, embedded plates and anchor bolts, concrete placement from ready-mix plants, finishing to design grades, curing and protection, backfilling and compaction, and coordination with third-party testing labs for required inspections. We also include foundation survey (verifying embed locations and elevations), submittal of reinforcing shop drawings, and as-built documentation showing final foundation details. What's NOT included (unless specifically requested): geotechnical investigation, structural engineering design, building permits, and shoring/dewatering for high water table sites. Typical Plano foundation packages range from $65,000-$180,000 for a 50,000-100,000 sq ft warehouse depending on foundation type, soil conditions, and building loads.
Precision Concrete
Talk with our project managers about tilt-wall builds, structural foundations, and site paving. We mobilize fast and deliver commercial-grade concrete that holds up to the toughest specs.