For South Shore homeowners, unstable soil adds to challenge of rebuilding
Photo credit: Newsday / Ed Betz | The house is first jacked up and placed on wooden supports called cribbages. Then, the helical piles, which are metal and have a corkscrew-like shape, are driven into the boggy soil beneath the home. (April 11, 2013)
How will Sandy affect LI's future?
Surviving Sandy
Superstorm Sandy six month anniversary
Raising LI homes
Helping Sandy victims
Sandy's impact on Long Island
Complete Sandy coverage
Map: LI areas Sandy flooded
LI's 13 dead
Many homeowners near bays and canals on the Sandy-ravaged South Shore face a challenge that architects, engineers and geologists say is a vital consideration for raising or replacing a home -- bog and fill that can undermine a structure's foundation.
From Atlantic Beach to Montauk, unstable material lurks beneath the surface.
Bog, a spongy type of soil resembling compost and sometimes...
