#underpinning contractors

[getadvanceinfo]

They say a house is only as strong as its foundation, right? But, what happens when the foundation itself begins to show signs of weakness? Is relocating the only option left? Not really. Enter - the world of underpinning; a technique that fortifies the foundation of your already existing house. But who does this job? And how does the process unfold? This is exactly what we'll explore today.

[foundationsolution1]

Concrete Caisson Foundations: A Comprehensive Guide by Foundation Solutions

When it comes to constructing sturdy and reliable structures, the foundation plays a pivotal role in ensuring long-term stability and safety. One of the most effective methods for supporting heavy loads and navigating challenging soil conditions is the use of concrete caissons. At Foundation Solutions, we specialize in providing top-quality concrete caisson foundation services, tailored to meet the specific needs of each project. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into the basics of concrete caissons, their applications, benefits, and why Foundation Solutions is your go-to provider for exceptional foundation services.

What Are Concrete Caissons?

Concrete caissons, also known as drilled shafts, are deep foundation elements constructed by drilling a cylindrical hole into the ground and filling it with reinforced concrete. These structures are designed to transfer heavy loads from a building or structure to deeper, more stable soil or rock layers. Concrete caissons are commonly used in various construction projects, including bridges, high-rise buildings, towers, and other heavy structures.

The Construction Process of Concrete Caissons

The construction of concrete caissons involves several key steps:

Site Assessment and Planning: Before construction begins, a thorough site assessment is conducted to evaluate soil conditions, load requirements, and any potential challenges. This information is crucial for determining the size, depth, and number of caissons needed.

Drilling the Shaft: A specialized drilling rig is used to create a cylindrical hole in the ground. The diameter and depth of the shaft depend on the load-bearing requirements and soil conditions.

Installing Reinforcement: Once the shaft is drilled, a steel reinforcement cage is lowered into the hole. This cage provides additional strength and stability to the caisson.

Pouring Concrete: Concrete is poured into the shaft, encasing the reinforcement cage. The concrete is typically poured continuously to prevent the formation of cold joints, ensuring a uniform and strong foundation element.

Curing and Inspection: After pouring, the concrete is allowed to cure and harden. The caisson is then inspected for any defects or irregularities.

Load Testing: In some cases, load testing may be performed to verify the caisson’s load-bearing capacity and ensure it meets design specifications.

Applications of Concrete Caissons

Concrete caissons are versatile foundation elements suitable for a wide range of applications, including:

Bridges: Caissons provide the necessary support for bridge piers, transferring loads to deeper, more stable soil layers.

High-Rise Buildings: For skyscrapers and other tall structures, caissons offer a reliable foundation solution capable of handling heavy vertical and lateral loads.

Towers and Masts: Communication towers, transmission masts, and similar structures benefit from the stability and strength of concrete caisson foundations.

Marine Structures: In coastal and offshore construction, caissons are used to support docks, piers, and other marine structures.

Retaining Walls: Caissons can be used in the construction of retaining walls, providing stability and preventing soil erosion.

Benefits of Concrete Caisson Foundations

Concrete caisson foundations offer numerous benefits, making them an ideal choice for various construction projects:

High Load-Bearing Capacity: Caissons can support extremely heavy loads, making them suitable for large and complex structures.

Versatility: They can be used in a wide range of soil conditions, including soft soils, loose sands, and even underwater environments.

Reduced Settlement: By transferring loads to deeper, more stable soil layers, caissons minimize settlement and ensure the long-term stability of the structure.

Resistance to Lateral Forces: Caissons provide excellent resistance to lateral forces, such as wind and seismic activity, enhancing the overall safety of the structure.

Durability: When constructed with high-quality materials and proper techniques, concrete caissons are highly durable and require minimal maintenance.

Cost-Effectiveness: Despite the initial investment, caissons can be cost-effective in the long run due to their durability and minimal maintenance requirements.

Why Choose Foundation Solutions for Concrete Caisson Services?

At Foundation Solutions, we pride ourselves on delivering top-notch foundation services, including concrete caisson construction. Here’s why we stand out from the competition:

Experienced Team: Our team of professionals has extensive experience in designing and constructing concrete caisson foundations for a wide range of projects.

Advanced Technology: We use the latest equipment and techniques to ensure precision and efficiency in every project.

Customized Solutions: We understand that every project is unique, which is why we offer customized foundation solutions tailored to meet your specific needs.

Quality Materials: We use only the highest quality materials, ensuring the durability and longevity of our foundation solutions.

Customer Satisfaction: Our commitment to customer satisfaction is unmatched. We work closely with our clients to ensure their needs are met and expectations exceeded.

Case Study: Successful Concrete Caisson Project

One of our recent projects involved the construction of a high-rise office building in an area with challenging soil conditions. Our team conducted a thorough site assessment and determined that concrete caissons were the best solution for supporting the structure’s significant load requirements. We successfully drilled and installed multiple caissons, providing a stable and reliable foundation for the building. The project was completed on time and within budget, with the client highly satisfied with the results.

Contact Foundation Solutions Today

If you’re planning a construction project that requires a reliable and durable foundation, contact Foundation Solutions today. Our team of experts is ready to provide you with top-quality concrete caisson services tailored to your project’s needs. With our experience, advanced technology, and commitment to excellence, we guarantee a foundation that will stand the test of time.

At Foundation Solutions, we are dedicated to providing superior foundation solutions for all your construction needs. Trust us to deliver the expertise and quality you deserve, ensuring the stability and safety of your structures for years to come.

Tagged Foundation Repair, Foundation Repair Santa Clara, Foundation Solutions

[pilingexpert]

Trusted Underpinning Contractors In Sydney

Ensure the stability of your property with expert underpinning contractors in Sydney. Strengthen foundations and prevent structural issues with professional solutions. 

[eliteconstruction321]

Why You Should Consider Basement Underpinning in Toronto

Basement underpinning is a process that involves lowering the floor of your basement to create more height and space. It can also strengthen the foundation of your home and prevent water damage. Basement underpinning in Toronto is a great option if you want to increase the value and comfort of your home. You can use the extra space for a variety of purposes, such as a family room, a home office, or a rental unit. Elite Construction is a reliable and professional company that offers basement underpinning in Toronto and Scarborough. We have the skills and equipment to handle any basement underpinning project, no matter how big or small. Contact us today for a free quote and consultation.

[semplerdrill]

Professional Underpinning Contractor in Los Angeles

At Semper Drilling, we provide exceptional underpinning services to stabilize your home's foundation. Our experienced underpinning contractor in Los Angeles offers superior craftsmanship, utilizing the latest technology and techniques to ensure your home is safe and secure. Contact us today for a customized solution tailored to your specific needs.

[elodieunderglass]

You put that info dump about jockeys in the tags of the info dump post, but oh my stars do I need you to write an actual post about it if you have the time! Or if you've already done that, point me in the direction of where I can find it, because dude, am I invested now!!!!

Oh I can go on about jockeys forever. Let’s do a crash (ha) course while dressing my jockey OC, Killie. Killie is an Irish-British racing jockey over the flat AND jumps, operating in the UK.

NOTE TW below the cut for injuries, weight talk and references to disordered eating, because, regrettably: professional horse jockeys. Infuriating people.

We start with Killie’s fairly battered and frankly very tiny body. At 4’10” Killie is comfortably at the bottom range of jockeys, who usually range from 4’10 to 5’7”. There’s no height limit; there is a weight limit. A naturally small man at about 118 lbs of fairly fit racing weight, Killie is in condition to race on the flat in the UK without too much starvation, dehydration, and substance abuse those are just his hobbies. Jockeys and their gear are weighed before and after each race. Weight limits for jockeys include their body, personal gear, riding gear and safety equipment.

Flat jockeys - who race horses on a plain circular track, like the Kentucky Derby - must be lighter and smaller than jump jockeys. In the USA, flat jockeys tend to be about 118 lbs, the weight of a potential Kentucky Derby competitor. In the UK, flat jockeys and their gear can now go up to 142 lbs, thanks to increased welfare standards; this includes the 3lb allowance for the body protector that UK jockeys must wear as of 2018, and, as of 2013, Flat jockeys in the UK can now have an additional 1 lb of allowance for warm clothing in winter.

Jump jockeys, who race in steeplechases (USA) like the Grand National (UK) aka races with jumps - are allowed to be slightly heavier, and often taller with it, as their sport requires even more strength and stamina.

Jockeys have to be able to maintain ~118 lbs of very fit, fighting-quality muscle, every day of the week. Thus, most jockeys are short, averaging 5’2” in a sport dominated by men, because that’s the cost of packing on enough muscle for the required strength/stamina. add in excellent horsemanship, high pain tolerance, lack of natural fear/truly bonkers physical courage, the ability to go for days without food and other pleasures of life, an ongoing commitment to fitness, excellent mental arithmetic/timekeeping skills, and the ability to tolerate abysmal working conditions, to understand why most short people aren’t immediately natural jockeys. Taller jockeys are becoming ever more common, as the conditions that shaped the historically legendary small jockeys (enslavement/slaver starvation, concentration camps/Nazi starvation, birth complication/premature birth, bad nutrition) are thankfully becoming far less common. This is in turn driving pushes towards higher weight limits, which can only be a good thing.

Why aren’t jockeys all little people? Because it isn’t just about being small - it’s more important to be light and strong. Jockeys generally don’t have medical conditions underpinning their size, and are not generally considered part of the little people community, although their size may overlap with little people. It’s important to repeat that the working conditions of jockeys are still bad; they're a loose collection of freelancers who very rarely become contractors, they don’t bargain collectively, have nominal professional associations, and have 500 years of absurdly feudal working conditions to battle. Little people who are motivated to handle horses could have a comparable time - and genuine union protection! and fans! and visibility! and benefits! and safety coordinators! and less substance abuse! And clothing! - by working as stunt actors. Jockeys just have a shitty job, so when we ask why marginalised people don’t dominate the field, we have to look at working conditions.

Why don’t more women (who tend to be a bit smaller statistically) go into racing? Some of it is historical sexism, but again, the working conditions. Female jockeys have raced throughout history, and are active today. Men and women compete equally in horse racing without any gender segregation or handicap (or even different clothing) and with no statistical difference in performance. Of course, male and female horses also compete alongside each other, for what it’s worth! equestrian sports are generally refreshingly free of TERF nonsense about Masculinity Being An Advantage (it isn’t, in human or horse.) but again, it isn’t a choice career for people with better options, so to improve diversity/inclusivity the working conditions should be addressed first, not the other way around.

Also note: horse racing is declining in popularity. With its preferred audiences traditionally being "stupidly posh aristocrats who wear alarming fascinators" and "conservative working-class old men who shout at TVs in sports bars," with a side order of "sketchy gambling-addicted weirdos," the sport doesn't really appeal to, for example, Tumblr users. Millennial-and-younger generations basically just ignore the whole industry. Most people can't name a single racing jockey; people could maybe name Secretariat, one of the most famous named animals in history, who had a film about him.

At any rate, Killie comes by his frame honestly - he is just generationally tiny and lanky, from a family of jockeys.

Killie starts his outfit in “jockey” briefs and a very lightweight high-neck top. Remember that the carry weight of his gear comes out of his weight allowance, which also includes his own body and riding equipment, so he’s wearing a lightweight mesh skivvy, even in cold weather.

The terminology of jockey briefs and the Jockey underwear brand come from horse racing. "Jockey" comes from the British/Scottish word "jock," for a young boy; jockey being a diminutive of this. The phrase "jock" as in "sportsman, opposite of nerd" in the USA comes from "jockstrap", which is apparently a completely separate underwear-related sporting etymology.

Men and women wear the same clothes, which are sold to everyone equally; there aren’t “girl versions” for racing gear, just heavy or lightweight gear. Women usually add a sports bra, and men have personal preferences for briefs to keep things contained. However, anecdotally, some women race in 'men’s' underwear - and some male jockeys wear 'women’s' underwear to keep gear weight down - so whatever. Pantyhose can be worn to prevent chafing, add a vague layer of warmth, fight the see-through effect of racing breeches, and are a compromise for socks, which would add unnecessary weight.

If there was a reason to leave off his base layer, Killie could cheat by wearing a neck wrap - basically a high collar with a bib that would make it LOOK like he was wearing something under his silks.

Today, in the UK and Australia, jockeys wear body protectors! These are fairly new to the sport and aren’t even remotely universal in the USA. Body protectors can shield the spine, lungs and heart from falls, kicks, and crush injuries.

Killie has also added his high-waisted racing breeches. These are basically-see-through polyester breeches of unbelievable thinness and lightness. Unlike normal riding breeches/jodhpurs, they don’t offer much at all in the way of comfort/grip/protection.

Pull-ups are a kind of tight compression tube that bridge the breeches/boots gap, preventing chafing and making sure that breeches taper into the boot.

Time for silks!

Silks, or racing colours, are colourful high-necked thin jackets that are buttoned over the body protector and tucked into the breeches. Silks represent the owner of the racehorse, for example the Queen of England or Godolphin Stables. Jockeys don’t own racehorses or own/choose silks.

Killie is a licensed jockey under contract to a stable - a highly desirable position. this means that he has HIS OWN PERSONAL SILKS, which actually fit him on purpose. He also knows the horses he rides. This is a very rare and comfortable post - the gold standard for champion jockeys, and what everyone in the profession is desperately hoping for.

Most everyday jobbing jockeys are paid £100 per ride, plus a cut of the purse if they win (but most jockeys in a race necessarily don’t win.) jobbing jockeys are chosen by racehorse owners like itinerant labourers or puppies from a box. Jockeys compete desperately to be offered the best mounts. The owners’ silks are kept in a changing room and when a jockey is chosen by an owner to ride a particular horse, they are handed the owner’s silks to put on over their base layer. These silks are unisex and one-size-fits-all, so jockeys tuck them into breeches to hide when they’re too large, and small jockeys use hair elastics to roll back and secure the sleeves.

People have a vague idea from heartwarming movies that the racehorse, owner, trainer and jockey are familiar with each other - perhaps they have a beautiful relationship. It’s important to remember the real pecking order here: the owner is usually a billionaire or royalty. The racehorse is usually a valuable, highly-bred animal with a proper dollar value on it, which the billionaire loves as an extension of their own wealth and power and beauty and influence. And the jockey is a sort of disposable starving dog that talks, which you graciously choose from the pack, based on their stats, like someone picking a Mario Kart, and assign to make your horsey win. Sometimes “just before the race” is the first time the jockey even touches the horse they’re about to ride! At any rate, the patterned jacket is chucked at the jockey to button on over their clothes(unless they’re Killie and have their own.) They also stretch a thin flexible matching cover over their helmet.

The design of the silks is ancient in intention; everyone can intuit that it’s resonant with medieval alliances and heraldry and tournaments, and the wearing of colours facilitates your ability pick out “your” mounted knight from a scrum of other screaming horses and bodies. Today they help commentators and the audience to see their horses. All silks must be unique, with colour/design/pattern being registered in databases. You can play with the British Horseracing Authority's silks database to see whether your design of silks would be available!

Killie is wearing his racing boots. They're flexible, made of very leather, with practically no sole, and weigh less than half a pound.

Killie wears racing gloves - these are optional, and often fingerless since jockeys like to feel the reins. He also has goggles. Jockeys usually take multiple pairs, perched on their helmet and pulled down in turn. You can have tinted ones for sun/rain, but they’re most important for keeping mud and stones out of your eyes at 40mph. They’re very lightweight, and when they become too dirty to see through, you pull them down to hang around your neck and then pull down the next pair over your eyes. here's jockey Gary Stevens after a muddy race with several pairs of goggles pulled down.

Killie's got his helmet, so now he's dressed. He needs to add his gear. Again, the jockey's body and their gear are part of the same weight allowance; a lighter jockey can have heavier gear. Here is UK jockey Hollie Doyle showing hers:

Interestingly, the weight of the saddle (plus stirrups, girth, and lead cloth) belongs in the jockey's weight allowance. (The racehorse brings its own bridle and saddlecloth.) Hollie is shown here with multiple saddles - for various riding conditions, weights, etc. Racing saddles only weigh about 1-2 pounds - contrasted with the 20lb of a normal English riding saddle - and are basically a strap that the stirrups hang from, since jockeys mostly stand up to ride.

This concludes "Getting Cillian Dressed, the Awkward Little Sod That He Is." Thank you so much for joining me and prompting this.

Appendix:

I depict Killie as a lightly bruised skeleton wrapped in a thin layer of mental problems, with the temperament of an unloved stray dog. This is not a nice state for a fellow to live in, so if I were to give him a happy ending, I would like Killie to age into a sort of healthy, roguish Franny Norton type (Franny, below, is the older jockey in white base layer. He raced for over 30 years and retired in 2024.) So if Killie were to be developed as a character, he would be poised for having some kind of fictional redemption arc that aligns with the overall improvement of working conditions for jockeys in 2025 and the potential redemption arc of his whole profession. it is possible, and increasingly less rare, for jockeys to be More Normal than Killie - as they very much should be!! the take-home message here should be that the profession has the potential to improve and may even do so. Emphasis on jockey and racehorse welfare would only help.

[assignmentimprobable]

I haven’t subjected anybody to my posting in the last month so it’s time to break my streak with a dose of word salad.

To Start… It really gets my goat that it’s sort of integrated into Wolverine lore on a fandom level now that Stryker was the Weapon X culprit. Not necessarily because ‘oh that’s not how it was in the comics!’, even though that’s part of it. More because I think there is something genuinely interesting in the kind of evil that Stryker presented in God Loves, Man Kills (1982), the story that made up half of the movie’s plot elements and themes.

More below the cut. Warning for discussions of eugenics, racism, mentions of lynching.

Yes. This comic.

There’s a lot to be said about the prevailing relevance of televangelists using religious hypocrisy and white supremacist ideology in mass media to spead bigotry and incite lynchings within their following.

I do actually recognize the value of compositing Stryker’s character with Dr. Thornton from the Weapon X (1991) story. You only get 2 hours to hash out what’s happening, the writers wanted to pick up the threads from the last movie. For the purpose of a movie, a military contractor and scientist is an easy evil to swallow, because duh, and an easier one to clean up. That said, I think it was only ever good for that one outing.

Seeing him again in Origins can be explained as taking us back full circle— But even then, it falls apart because there’s such a Nothingness to his inclusion. He’s a generic CO without anything to add to the overarching dialogue on mutants, or the underpinnings of the original Weapon X story (Which is a problem for another post because I’ve got some fucking WORDS to say about the entirety of… all that. And how the movie undertook it). I KNOW that you’re probably thinking ‘why would you expect intelligence from origins’, and it’s like, I don’t. I watched that shit when it hit bootleg fresh off the DVD guy’s trunk collection. But if you’re gonna make such a big change with these kinds of ramifications on a movie timeline and stand on it, then well. I’m gonna write about it. Especially when he’s in fuckin DOFP and I’ve gotta see his foreshadowed impact getting waved around.

The point of Stryker in GLMK was that he couldn’t be easily handled by sending the X-Men in, he’s a political figure using the cover of free speech, fundamentalist Christian “values” and gathering enough clout to perpetrate some heinous shit.

Stryker didn’t need to experiment on anybody or invade the X-Mansion to make their lives palpably worse. He was gathering up the already large following of people gung ho as fuck to legislate on mutant rights. I used the word “lynching” earlier with intent, because that’s exactly what he did: the comic starts with two black mutant children being lynched and having a sign with the mutant slur hung on the bodies. Which. Alright. The use of black pain and black death in a story like this inevitably serves the allegory and makes the conclusion inescapable for even the most braindead readers of 1982. Dare I say, inescapable for the braindead readers of 2024. That said, the margin of leeway you can give it (if you even want to) gets smaller when you consider Kitty Pryde dropping the n word to ‘prove a point’ in the same story. How the mutant metaphor constantly assumes the volatility and natural genetic power of the underclass. Or how the team never seemed to have more than one face of color at a time having something vital to do, if even that. Hm.

Anyways, in invoking the imagery for this murder: The story illustrates that Stryker’s ultimate conclusion is 1-to-1 with his real life counterparts. It’s the last stop on the train to annihilation, and it never stops at just one group of arbitrarily picked undesirables. Bigotry never has one layer . You peel it back and you get another. You get down to the root of eugenics, the exclusion it’s all white supremacy. The same fire and brimstone preacher tactics, the same righteous indignation about problems that aren’t even Real. Designations of ‘natural’ that are presupposed by European defaults. The front runners of it have just gotten enough fucking simpletons thinking that they won’t be next, or not even *caring* that they’ll be next, as long as the object of their hate gets to suffer. It all comes down to the fuckin race science with these people. It does stink something fierce that FOX/Marvel were so afraid of pissing off evangelists that they bit the bullet and changed things up. It’s really a disservice to the story it’s adapting, and I LIKE X2! It’s probably my favorite of the movies?

TLDR: Corporations are cowards when it comes to standing on business. The Strykers of the world were real 42 years ago and they’re real now. Oh, and if I never see William Stryker again in an X-Men film, it’ll be too soon.

[mariacallous]

A high-profile network of investors and founders in Silicon Valley are promoting a new moral vision for the tech industry, in which job choices and other decisions are guided not by the pursuit of wealth, but according to Christian values and Western cultural frameworks.

At an event in San Francisco last week hosted in a former church, Trae Stephens, cofounder of the defense contractor Anduril and a partner at the Peter Thiel–led venture capital firm Founders Fund, characterized the idea as the pursuit of “good quests” or careers that make the future better, a concept that he said has theological underpinnings.

“I’m literally an arms dealer,” Stephens said at one point, prompting laughter from the crowd of roughly 200 people, which included Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan. “I don’t think all of you should be arms dealers, but that’s a pretty unique calling.”

The hour-long discussion was part of a series of ticketed gatherings organized by ACTS 17 Collective, a nonprofit founded last year by Stephens’ wife, health care startup executive Michelle Stephens. The group, whose name is an acronym that stands for “Acknowledging Christ in Technology and Society,” is on a mission to “redefine success for those that define culture,” she says.

In Michelle's view, tech workers mostly believe in arbitrary metrics of success, like money and power, leaving some of them feeling empty and hopeless. She wants them to believe instead that “success can be defined as loving God, myself, and others.”

People of all denominations—including atheists—are welcome at ACTS 17 events. Last Thursday’s event had low-key party vibes. Bartenders served beer and wine, a DJ was spinning light worship beats, and prayer booklets rested on a table. The idea for ACTS 17 and a speaker series on faith actually took root at a party, Michelle says. In November 2023, during a three-day 40th birthday party for Trae in New Mexico, Peter Thiel led a talk on miracles and forgiveness. Guests were intrigued.

“Folks were coming up to us saying things like, ‘I didn’t know Peter is a Christian,’ ‘How can you be gay and a billionaire and be Christian?’, ‘I didn’t know you could be smart and a Christian,’ and ‘What can you give me to read or listen to learn more?’” Michelle says.

The Stephens have long-standing connections to Thiel. In addition to helping start Anduril and working at Founders Fund, Trae was also an early employee at data intelligence firm Palantir, a company cofounded by Thiel that develops tools used by the US military.

At the ACTS 17 last Thursday, Trae appeared to echo a number of ideas Thiel has also espoused about technology and Christianity. He emphasized that jobs outside the church can be sacred, citing Martin Luther’s work during the Protestant Reformation. “The roles that we’re called into are not only important and valuable on a personal level, but it’s also critical to carry out God’s command to bring his kingdom to Earth as it is in heaven,” Trae said.

Thiel made nearly identical comments in a 2015 essay arguing that technological progress should be accelerated. Science and technology, he wrote, are natural allies of “Judeo-Western optimism,” especially if “we remain open to an eschatological frame in which God works through us in building the kingdom of heaven today, here on Earth.”

But what do Thiel, Trae Stephens, and other powerful tech figures actually mean when they say it’s possible to build a Christian heaven on this planet? For Trae, the idea is practically literal, and happens through his concept of “good quests,” first outlined in an article cowritten with entrepreneur Markie Wagner in 2022.

In the article, Trae and Wagner argued that Silicon Valley was in a “crisis of nonsense.” Pastimes such as “exiting your first startup only to enter venture capital,” “armchair philosophizing on Twitter,” and “yachting between emails in de facto retirement at age 35” are examples of bad quests. Good quests, on the other hand, tackle massively hard and complex problems, and result in advancements in manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and the extension of human lifespans.

After the essay came out, Trae said a man approached him and shared that he was trying to solve an important problem by building an NFT marketplace. That right there, Trae told the audience at the ACTS 17 event, is an example of a bad quest. “The human brain can convince you anything you’re doing is a good quest,” he said.

Trae, who ran President Donald Trump’s defense transition team during his first term, used the same good versus bad quests frame to explain why he recently turned down the opportunity to serve as US defense secretary. Very few things in life should be able to take you away from your “yes,” or your good quest, Trae explained. “I think the reason for my ‘no’ was understanding what my ‘yes’ was,” he said.

Alex Karp, the chief executive of Palantir, recently criticized what he similarly described as a moral crisis in the tech industry, decrying the fact that ample capital and “legions of talented engineers” were wasted “merely to build photo-­sharing apps and chat interfaces for the modern consumer.” Karp went on to say that the “prevailing agnosticism” of the modern era has “paved the way for the market to fill the gap.”

The agnosticism Karp refers to is cultural, rather than spiritual. But like Trae Stephens, he believes the tech sector has been too focused on solving trivial problems and ignoring the most pressing issues of society. The problem, Karp argued, could be solved by rebuilding the United States from the ground up as a technological republic. (Presumably, that would include Palantir selling its technology to the government.)

The Bay Area, where Silicon Valley is nested, has long been a haven for progressive values and is often perceived to be largely agnostic or atheistic. Its prevailing rich-hippie vibes are well documented, with tech workers turning to biohacking, psychedelics, Burning Man, and Esalen retreats as forms of introspection and self-discovery.

Those pastimes aren’t likely to wane in popularity anytime soon, but for some people, the ACTS 17 Collective presents an alternative community, one combining tech startup culture with fervent faith.

“I’ve worked in Silicon Valley since 2005, and my initial impression was that it was anti-Valley to talk about religion and belief systems,” Nate Williams, a startup entrepreneur and investor who attended the event last week, told WIRED afterward. “But now it’s becoming more normalized to wear it on your sleeve,” he says, a trend he attributes partly to people seeking community after the pandemic.

At some moments during the event, the twin themes of work and religion were so commingled that it was hard to make a distinction between the two: Is work the new religion, as it has been and ever shall be in Silicon Valley? Or does religion offer a different framework for how people should think about what constitutes meaningful work?

“When you get into the startup world—there are some things in life you can be casual about, but probably work is not something you can be casual about and have success, do you agree?” Ben Pilgreen, founding pastor of the nondenominational Christian Epic Church in San Francisco and the Stephens’ pastor, said to the crowd. “The themes raised tonight don’t seem to be something you can be casual about.” (Epic Church’s attendance has been steadily rising over the past several months, Pilgreen said in a recent interview with the SF Standard.)

After the talk, attendees swarmed the Stephens couple, thanking them for the discussion and asking questions about future events. One attendee told WIRED he’s now interested in visiting Pilgreen’s Epic Church and attending its dinner series, which, like the house of worship, has a startup-worthy name: Alpha.

[beeseverywhen]

Another week, another phantom menace for Rishi Sunak. The people he is talking about, regarding his benefit reforms, do not exist. The 1.35 million people who could work but just don’t want to, who have a label of depression or anxiety but are just a little bit sad, who could have their benefits replaced by vouchers and find that incentivising: these people do not exist.

People are not signed off work because we are all a little bit more comfortable talking about our moods. People are not on disability benefits because Prince Harry did a podcast. We don’t have a “sicknote culture” because it’s too easy to get a sicknote. The pressure on GPs will not be lifted by parcelling out sicknotes to private contractors. Those with depression and anxiety severe enough to claim a personal independence payment (Pip) are catastrophically unwell. If numbers have surged over the past 14 years, which they have, it is because Conservative governments make you catastrophically unwell.

Pushback on this new narrative of cruelty has so far been pathetic: at the most, you might hear a minister challenged on the scarcity of NHS mental health provision. All that is true: child and adolescent mental health services in particular are now so poor as to be almost nonexistent. There are areas of the country where a child can wait so long for help that by the time it arrives, four years later, they are no longer a child. In a grim, idiotic irony that is the trademark of a government that marries callousness to incompetence, the more severe your illness, the more labyrinthine and inaccessible the treatment: hospital trusts might meet the referral targets for psychotic episodes, but most then fail to meet the standard for providing treatment. Waiting times for severe mental illness besides psychosis aren’t recorded and people describe it as endless limbo.

But the problem starts further up the pipeline: our mental health is worse because our general health is worse. “Britain is objectively sicker than it was a decade ago,” the epidemiologist Michael Marmot wrote in January. Poverty is driving down life expectancy and driving up infant mortality – and, along the way, it’s destroying people’s sanity. Being chronically hungry – as the UN rapporteur noted in November, with some horror, that many people are in Britain – harms your state of mind, as does not being able to feed your children.

Debt, precarious housing, low wages, punitive benefit sanctions – any one of these factors might reasonably cause a person to fear for their existence. Successive Conservative governments have driven a large number of people to despair and now they want to engage us in a conversation about snowflakes. We shouldn’t dignify it.

If the premise is built on an untruth, it is not surprising that no single point is true, either. Mel Stride, the work and pensions secretary, is calling these ideas the “biggest welfare reforms in a generation”, but 14 years is much less than a generation and, in this time, welfare has been reformed significantly. Universal credit, introduced 11 years ago, was never benchmarked to a meaningful assessment of need, with the result that 90% of households claiming it, as of last summer, are unable to afford the essentials.

If that was the intention – to move low-income families on to the breadline – that is hands down the most successful reform the Tories have enacted. Pip, the benefit these reforms are coming for, was itself a reform of the disability living allowance. It is known for assessment criteria so harsh and nonsensical that, if anxiety isn’t one of your symptoms at the start of it, it generally is by the end.

The whole wheeze is underpinned by the fact that Sunak doesn’t have time to make meaningful changes to anything. Maybe he thinks he is laying a trap for Labour. Maybe he thinks the injection of fresh cruelty will boost his support in the local elections. If there is anything more disgusting than the sight of a half-billionaire rolling up his sleeves for a “benefits crackdown” in the middle of a cost of living crisis, the realities of which he wouldn’t be able to imagine even if it occurred to him to try, I can���t think of it.

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The U.S. Department of State will provide $1 million to fund ongoing efforts to locate and document unexploded ordnance left behind by American and Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands 80 years after one of the most ferocious campaigns of World War II.

Unexploded ordnance, called UXO, still kills and maims an estimated 20 Solomon Islanders annually and little has been done by the U.S., its allies, Japan or the Solomon Islands to understand the true scope of the issue.

[...]

A 2020 incident involving a previous contractor, Norwegian People’s Aid, underpins local concerns. Two of the nongovernmental organization’s staff members died while attempting to disarm a mortar in a residential section of the capital, Honiara — an area where they were not contracted to operate.

The deaths resulted in the project being halted until early 2022, when the U.S. opened up applications to restart the contract.

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Selecting the right underpinning contractor is pivotal in ensuring your house underpinning is done professionally. Work with contractors who possess extensive knowledge and experience in underpinning. Validate their certification and license, as these documents attest to their skills and adherence to state’s building codes and safety regulations.

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Underpinning Foundation: Strengthening Your Home’s Stability with Foundation Solutions

Underpinning is a critical process for reinforcing and stabilizing foundations that have become compromised. Whether due to soil movement, water damage, or construction defects, a weakened foundation can jeopardize the safety and longevity of a structure. At Foundation Solutions, we specialize in underpinning foundation services, offering tailored solutions to strengthen and secure your property. In this blog post, we will explore the importance of underpinning, the signs that indicate a need for it, and why Foundation Solutions is your top choice for foundation repair and stabilization.

What is Underpinning?

Underpinning is a construction technique used to strengthen the foundation of an existing building. It involves extending the foundation’s depth or breadth so that it rests on a more stable soil layer. This process is essential for addressing various foundation issues, ensuring that the building can support its intended loads without shifting or settling.

When is Underpinning Necessary?

Several scenarios may necessitate underpinning, including:

Foundation Settlement: When a foundation sinks or shifts due to soil compaction or erosion, underpinning can restore stability.

Increased Load Requirements: If you’re adding additional floors or heavy equipment to a building, underpinning may be needed to support the increased load.

Soil Changes: Variations in soil moisture content or the presence of expansive clay can cause foundations to move.

Construction Defects: Poor construction practices, such as inadequate soil compaction or insufficient foundation depth, may require corrective underpinning.

Natural Disasters: Events like earthquakes, floods, or landslides can weaken foundations, making underpinning necessary.

Signs Your Foundation Needs Underpinning

Identifying the signs of foundation problems early can help you avoid more severe issues and costly repairs. Look for the following indicators that underpinning may be needed:

Visible Cracks: Large or expanding cracks in walls, floors, or the foundation itself can signal foundation movement.

Uneven Floors: Floors that slope or feel uneven may indicate that the foundation is settling unevenly.

Sticking Doors and Windows: Difficulty opening or closing doors and windows can be a sign of a shifting foundation.

Gaps Around Windows and Doors: Gaps appearing around window and door frames are a common sign of foundation movement.

Separation of Walls: Walls pulling away from the house or each other can indicate serious foundation issues.

The Underpinning Process

At Foundation Solutions, we follow a meticulous and comprehensive underpinning process to ensure the highest quality results. Here’s a step-by-step overview of our approach:

Initial Inspection and Assessment: Our team of experts conducts a thorough inspection to diagnose the root cause and extent of the foundation problems.

Custom Underpinning Plan: Based on the assessment, we design a customized underpinning plan tailored to your specific needs and building conditions.

Excavation: We carefully excavate around the foundation to prepare for the underpinning process.

Foundation Extension: We extend the foundation’s depth or breadth by adding new support elements, such as piers, piles, or concrete footings.

Stabilization and Reinforcement: We stabilize the newly installed supports and reinforce the foundation to ensure long-term stability.

Backfilling and Restoration: Once the underpinning is complete, we backfill the excavated areas and restore the landscaping, ensuring a clean finish.

Final Inspection and Quality Assurance: We conduct a final inspection to confirm that the underpinning work meets our rigorous quality standards.

Why Choose Foundation Solutions?

Selecting the right company for your underpinning needs is crucial. Here’s why Foundation Solutions is the best choice:

Experienced Professionals: Our team has years of experience in underpinning and foundation repair, ensuring expert craftsmanship.

Customized Solutions: We tailor our services to meet the unique needs of each project, providing personalized solutions.

Advanced Technology: We use the latest tools and techniques to deliver precise and effective underpinning services.

Transparent Pricing: We offer clear, upfront pricing with no hidden fees, so you know exactly what to expect.

Guaranteed Satisfaction: Our work comes with a satisfaction guarantee, giving you peace of mind and confidence in our services.

Case Study: Successful Underpinning Project

A recent project involved a commercial building experiencing significant foundation settlement due to expansive clay soil. The structure had visible cracks and uneven floors, posing safety risks and operational challenges. Our team conducted a comprehensive assessment and implemented a customized underpinning plan, which included installing helical piers to support the foundation. The result was a stabilized structure with reinforced foundation integrity, ensuring the building’s safety and longevity.

Contact Foundation Solutions Today

If you’re experiencing foundation issues and suspect that underpinning may be necessary, don’t wait for the problem to escalate. Contact Foundation Solutions today for a professional assessment and expert underpinning services. Our experienced team is here to provide you with the support and solutions you need to ensure the safety and stability of your property.

At Foundation Solutions, we are committed to providing top-quality underpinning foundation services that exceed your expectations. Trust us to deliver the strength and reliability your property needs, ensuring long-term stability and peace of mind.

Tagged Foundation Repair, Foundation Solutions, Underpinning Foundation

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Foundation Repair Santa Clara: Protect Your Home with Foundation Solutions

The foundation of your home is one of its most critical components, providing the necessary support to ensure structural integrity. In Santa Clara, the unique soil conditions and climate can pose specific challenges to maintaining a strong and stable foundation. At Foundation Solutions, we specialize in foundation repair Santa Clara, offering expert services to address a wide range of issues. In this blog post, we’ll explore the common foundation problems in the area, the importance of timely repairs, and why Foundation Solutions is the best choice for homeowners seeking reliable foundation repair services.

Common Foundation Issues in Santa Clara

Santa Clara’s diverse landscape, ranging from flatlands to rolling hills, combined with its specific soil types, can lead to several common foundation problems:

Expansive Soils: The region’s clay-rich soils tend to expand and contract with moisture changes, causing significant foundation movement and cracks.

Earthquake Activity: Santa Clara is situated in a seismically active zone, making homes vulnerable to foundation damage from earthquakes and ground shifting.

Poor Drainage: Inadequate drainage systems can lead to water accumulation around the foundation, causing erosion and weakening the structure.

Soil Settlement: Uneven soil settlement can result in foundation sinking or settling, leading to uneven floors and cracks in walls.

Tree Roots: The growth of tree roots near the foundation can exert pressure, causing cracks and shifting.

Why Timely Foundation Repairs Are Crucial

Addressing foundation issues promptly is essential to prevent more severe problems and costly repairs. Here’s why timely foundation repairs are crucial:

Prevent Structural Damage: Early intervention can prevent minor issues from escalating into major structural damage, saving you time and money.

Maintain Property Value: A stable and well-maintained foundation helps preserve and even enhance your property’s market value.

Ensure Safety: A compromised foundation can pose safety risks, including the potential for structural collapse. Timely repairs help ensure the safety of your home and family.

Avoid Water Damage: Foundation cracks and gaps can allow water to seep into your home, leading to mold growth and water damage. Repairing these issues early helps avoid these problems.

Our Comprehensive Foundation Repair Services

At Foundation Solutions, we offer a wide range of foundation repair services tailored to address the specific needs of Santa Clara homeowners. Our comprehensive approach includes:

Foundation Inspection and Assessment: Our team conducts a thorough inspection to diagnose the root cause of the foundation issues and assess the extent of the damage.

Customized Repair Plans: Based on the assessment, we develop a personalized repair plan that addresses the specific problems affecting your foundation.

Foundation Crack Repair: We use high-quality sealants and epoxy injections to fill and seal foundation cracks, preventing water intrusion and further damage.

Underpinning and Piering: For foundations experiencing significant settlement, we offer underpinning and piering solutions to stabilize and support the structure.

Seismic Retrofitting: We provide seismic retrofitting services to reinforce foundations and improve earthquake resilience, crucial for homes in seismically active areas.

Drainage Solutions: We install effective drainage systems, such as French drains and sump pumps, to manage water around the foundation and prevent erosion.

Soil Stabilization: Our soil stabilization services help mitigate the effects of expansive soils, reducing foundation movement and damage.

Why Choose Foundation Solutions for Foundation Repair in Santa Clara?

Selecting the right foundation repair company is vital to ensure high-quality results. Here’s why Foundation Solutions is the premier choice for foundation repair in Santa Clara:

Experienced Professionals: Our team of experts has extensive experience in foundation repair, bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise to every project.

Advanced Techniques: We use the latest technology and methods to provide effective and durable foundation repair solutions.

Customer-Centric Approach: We prioritize our customers, offering transparent communication, competitive pricing, and a commitment to exceeding expectations.

Licensed and Insured: Foundation Solutions is fully licensed and insured, providing peace of mind and confidence in our services.

Guaranteed Workmanship: We stand behind our work, offering a satisfaction guarantee to ensure you’re happy with the results.

Case Study: Successful Foundation Repair in Santa Clara

A recent project involved a Santa Clara homeowner experiencing foundation settlement and cracks due to expansive soils and poor drainage. Our team conducted a detailed assessment and implemented a comprehensive repair plan, including underpinning, crack sealing, and the installation of a French drain system. The result was a stabilized foundation, improved drainage, and a safe, secure home.

Contact Foundation Solutions Today

If you’re experiencing foundation issues in Santa Clara, don’t wait for the problem to worsen. Contact Foundation Solutions today for a professional assessment and expert foundation repair services. Our experienced team is here to provide you with reliable solutions to protect your home and ensure long-term stability.

At Foundation Solutions, we are committed to providing top-quality foundation repair services in Santa Clara. Trust us to deliver the expertise and care your home deserves, ensuring a stable and secure foundation for years to come.

Tagged Foundation Repair, Foundation Repair Santa Clara, Foundation Solutions

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Trusted Underpinning Contractors In Sydney

Ensure structural stability with experienced underpinning contractors in Sydney. Specialising in foundation strengthening for residential and commercial properties, professional solutions provide long-lasting support. Contact us today for expert advice!

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Authority Showcase: Raleigh Parking Lot Painting LLC

Parking lot line painting services form the backbone of an orderly and safe environment for businesses. Raleigh Parking Lot Painting LLC, established in 1985, stands as the regional authority in providing top-notch parking lot striping and maintenance services throughout Raleigh, NC, and the surrounding areas. Our experience and dedication to quality have positioned us as industry leaders, demonstrating unmatched expertise in ADA compliant parking lot marking, commercial parking lot striping, and more. With a commitment to professionalism and client satisfaction, we ensure every parking lot reflects safety, efficiency, and visual appeal. This article delves into how Raleigh Parking Lot Painting LLC consistently leads the pack in offering reliable parking lot painting services in Raleigh.

Unmatched Expertise in ADA Compliance

Meeting Accessibility Standards

Raleigh Parking Lot Painting LLC excels in creating ADA compliant parking lot markings, vital for accessibility. By meticulously adhering to regulatory standards, we ensure that every parking lot facilitates easy access for all individuals, thereby enhancing inclusivity. For clients, this means peace of mind knowing they meet legal requirements while promoting accessibility.

Custom ADA Signage Solutions

In addition to line painting, we specialize in parking lot marking and ADA signage. Our comprehensive solutions include customized sign installations, ensuring your parking facility is fully equipped with the necessary directional and regulatory signs. This level of detail upholds safety and compliance, making us the best parking lot painters in Raleigh. Next, we will explore how our professional pavement marking services elevate the client experience.

Comprehensive Pavement Marking Services

Professionally Engineered Designs

Professional pavement marking services from Raleigh Parking Lot Painting LLC involve expertly crafted designs that optimize traffic flow and space utilization. Our designs accommodate specific needs, from numbered spaces to directional arrows, streamlining vehicle movement within parking lots. This systematic approach underpins our reputation as the top Raleigh parking lot painting company.

Durable Materials for Long-Lasting Results

Quality materials like Sherwin-Williams HotLine paint ensure our striping remains vibrant and durable, even under heavy traffic. This, coupled with our status as a Sherwin-Williams Approved Applicator, assures that your investment endures the test of time. In the following section, we discuss our bespoke parking lot maintenance solutions that reinforce our position as reliable parking lot painting services in Raleigh.

Bespoke Parking Lot Maintenance Solutions

Proactive Maintenance Programs

We offer proactive parking lot maintenance in Raleigh, tailoring services to client needs and schedules. Regular upkeep prevents deterioration and maintains the aesthetic and functional integrity of parking lots. Our expertise reduces long-term maintenance costs, ensuring lots remain safe and attractive.

Cost-Effective Resurfacing Solutions

Affordable parking lot painting in Raleigh goes beyond line striping. Our resurfacing and line painting services revitalizing aging lots, enhancing both appearance and functionality at a manageable cost. This seamless transition of services underscores our dedication to affordable parking line painting quotes for our clients. Next, we examine our industry recognition and community involvement that cement our standing in the field.

Industry Recognition and Community Commitment

Certified and Accredited Excellence

Raleigh Parking Lot Painting LLC proudly holds certifications like Graco LineLazer Certified Contractor and Pavement Marking Technician Certification. The