Method reference / basement support
What makes a basement support column permanent?
A steel post under a beam may be temporary shoring, an adjustable product, a fixed column, or an unidentified earlier repair. Its shape does not establish capacity or permanence.
Load path
Five parts to verify.
The column is only the visible middle. Follow the supported structure upward and the foundation downward.
| System part | Question for the record | Common unknown |
|---|---|---|
| Beam or girder | What member is supported, where does it span, and is the bearing point sound? | Hidden deterioration or altered loading. |
| Top connection | How does the beam bear on or connect to the column, and is the load centered as designed? | Unfastened, offset, or improvised bearing. |
| Column | What product or member is installed, at what height, with what condition and evaluated capacity? | No label, report number, or capacity record. |
| Base connection | How is the column seated or anchored, and how are corrosion and moisture exposure handled? | Corrosion, loose hardware, or no defined restraint. |
| Footing and soil | What carries the column below the slab, and was that support sized for the load and soil? | A slab with no verified thickened footing below. |
Field record
Gather six facts before replacing a post.
Removing, tightening, or relocating one support changes forces elsewhere. The record should show what the work is intended to correct.
- 01
Identify what the post supports
Trace the beam, joists, bearing walls, posts above, roof or floor loads, and any openings or framing alterations.
- 02
Record condition and geometry
Measure height, plumbness, corrosion, dents, splits, loose plates, beam crushing, gaps, and movement at the floor above.
- 03
Verify the product or member
Look for a manufacturer, model, evaluation report, material, wall thickness, adjustment range, and installation limitations. If none is visible, record the post as unidentified.
- 04
Verify the footing
Document the base, anchorage, slab opening or records, footing size and depth where known, and any settlement or cracking around the support.
- 05
Define the movement goal
Stabilizing the present elevation, correcting a sag, and lifting toward level are different scopes with different risks to finishes and utilities.
- 06
Write the sequence and closeout
State temporary shoring, load transfer, removal, installation, adjustment, inspection, final elevation, fasteners, concrete work, and the documents delivered.
Identified system
Read the evaluation report at the installed height.
ICC-ES AC335 is the evaluation framework for adjustable steel columns. ESR-4615 shows why the exact product matters: the report lists models, height ranges, capacities, connections, foundation conditions, and identification requirements for the named columns.
Unidentified support
Do not assign capacity from appearance.
Paint, a screw adjustment, or a concrete-filled tube can make two posts look similar while their dimensions, corrosion, bearing, connections, and footing differ. Record the unknowns and have the responsible professional establish the permanent support.
Safety boundary
Do not remove or adjust a loaded support casually.
A support may be carrying more of the structure than its location suggests. New cracking, falling material, a visibly shifting beam, a buckled post, or lost bearing calls for restricted access and prompt professional evaluation.
Regional application note / contractor-owned source
603 publishes lally-column replacement as structural work.
603 Basement Solutions lists failing support columns among the structural conditions it repairs and describes supporting the structure before removing failed material and installing the replacement.
That confirms contractor-owned service scope. It does not establish the load, footing, column capacity, permit route, or design for another house.
Technical sources / checked September 11, 2026