2020
Project Madrid
The owners of this two-story commercial building had been dealing with a persistent issue for years before reaching out to us. Water from the front landscaping had been seeping into the underground parking area, eventually infiltrating a critical structural beam engineered to support the entire building. As the beam began to fail, it sank, causing the entryway to tilt toward the building instead of away from it. This meant rainwater was now being funneled directly to the front door, pooling up to two inches deep during storms. Tenants in the middle units were experiencing sinking floors, and the situation was worsening with every rain event.
When we began the project and started dismantling the affected areas, we uncovered the root cause of the rapid deterioration. A previous contractor, in an attempt to create more slope for water drainage, had cut into the very beam holding up the building. This shocking discovery revealed just how close the property was to a catastrophic failure. Adding to the complexity, our tractor broke through the ground along the side of the property, sinking into a hidden void the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. A main drain line had decoupled years earlier, washing away the soil beneath the driveway and creating a hollow space no one knew existed.
San Clemente
We addressed the issues systematically. The failed beam and deteriorated framing were repaired, and the deck was rebuilt with proper slope and waterproofing. We waterproofed the underground parking walls, installed effective drainage, and ran a new drain line to daylight, allowing water to exit the property naturally. The void beneath the driveway was completely filled, and a full sub-drain grid system was installed beneath the parking slab to capture any water from the street or surrounding soil. A new slab was poured over the grid, and the front hardscape was entirely redone to prevent future water intrusion.
This permitted project grew in scope as we uncovered more issues, but the alternative—doing nothing—would have been far worse. If the beam had been left to fail, the building would have required extensive shoring, floors torn up, and temporary footings installed just to create a safe environment for repairs. Such a project would have started at a million dollars and escalated from there. Instead, our work preserved the building, kept tenants in place, and resolved a problem that had been quietly compounding for years.
“We had no idea a previous contractor had cut into the beam holding up our entire building — this team uncovered it and saved us from catastrophic failure.”
Commercial Property Owner
