Structural Engineer in Southern Indiana

Serving Southern Indiana and Jefferson County (502) 586-4380

Jeffersonville, New Albany and Clarksville sit directly across the Ohio River from Louisville and share its geology, climate and much of its housing stock — including some very old riverfront construction in the New Albany and Jeffersonville historic districts.

Note that Indiana licenses professional engineers separately from Kentucky. Work in Southern Indiana is referred to engineers licensed in Indiana.

Why Southern Indiana Differs From the Rest of Louisville

The Indiana side of the river is a different ground condition from anywhere in Jefferson County, and the reason is elevation. New Albany, Jeffersonville and Clarksville sit on Ohio valley bottomland, where the water table is high, moves with the river, and can rise close to or above the level of a basement floor.

That produces loading no Kentucky-side hillside basement experiences. Hydrostatic pressure acts against a wall over its full submerged height and can lift a slab as readily as push a wall inward, and because it is driven by groundwater rather than surface runoff, the usual first remedies — regrade, extend the downspouts — accomplish much less here than five miles east. The soils compound it: river-deposited alluvium varies over short horizontal distances, so support under a single footing can change mid-wall.

Structural Problems We See Most in Southern Indiana

Flood-related structural damage in low-lying riverfront areas
Basement wall movement from a persistently high water table
Historic masonry in the New Albany and Jeffersonville districts
Settlement in river-deposited alluvial soils
Pre-purchase structural inspection on older river-town housing

Neighborhoods and ZIP Codes Covered

Jeffersonville, New Albany, Clarksville, Sellersburg, Charlestown, Georgetown. ZIP codes: 47130, 47150, 47129.

What We Are Called Out For in Southern Indiana

Basement & Retaining Wall Assessment in Southern IndianaThe controlling factor for basement walls across the Indiana river towns is the water table, which sits high and rises with the Ohio.Storm & Water Damage Assessment in Southern IndianaFlood damage in the Indiana river communities is a structural question as much as a cleanup one, and the two get conflated.Pre-Purchase Structural Inspection in Southern IndianaBuying in the Indiana river towns adds a question that does not arise on higher ground: what has this house been through? Much of the older housing in New Albany and Jeffersonville has seen water at some point, and flood exposure leaves structural evidence that a general home inspection is not looking for.Foundation Inspection in Southern IndianaFoundations in the Ohio valley bottomland sit on alluvium — soil deposited by the river over a long period, in layers that vary in composition and density across short horizontal distances.

Also Covered Across Louisville

Load-Bearing Wall Removal · Sagging Floor & Framing Evaluation · Addition & Remodel Structural Design · Deck & Porch Structural Inspection