Regions
Foundation conditions across Oklahoma, from the Panhandle to the Ouachitas.
- What causes foundation problems in the Tulsa, Oklahoma metro?Most Tulsa foundation movement comes from shale clays that swell and shrink with about 41 inches of yearly rain; sandstone hills and floodplains add others.
- What soils affect foundations in east-central Oklahoma?A wet region of shale, sandstone ridges and floodplains; many soils hold a seasonal high water table, and floodplain clays such as Osage are smectitic Vertisols.
- What soils affect foundations in the Oklahoma Panhandle?The driest region, about 17 to 18 inches of rain in the west; soils formed in wind-deposited loess, and some, like Richfield, have clay subsoils that swell.
- What soils cause foundation problems in north-central Oklahoma?Red prairie clays over Permian shale, such as Renfrow, Kirkland and Tabler, shrink and swell strongly, while loamy Pond Creek and Grant soils are less reactive.
- What soils cause foundation problems in northeast Oklahoma?Cherty Ozark soils and karst around Grand Lake, Grove and Tahlequah, plus shrink-swell shale clays and perched water toward Vinita and Pryor.
- What soils cause foundation problems in northwest Oklahoma?Northwest Oklahoma sits on Permian red beds with gypsum and salt that can form sinkholes, slow-draining clays such as Vernon, and loamy soils on soft rock.
- What soils cause foundation problems in south-central Oklahoma?Shale clays near Durant crack deeply when dry, the Arbuckles hold limestone karst, and sandy and Red River soils bring drainage and flooding concerns.
- What soils cause foundation problems in southeast Oklahoma?Steep, rocky Ouachita slopes, Cretaceous shale clays that shrink and swell, flood-prone Red River sands and the state's heaviest rainfall.
- What soils cause foundation problems in southwest Oklahoma?Southwest Oklahoma has deep clays such as Hollister and Tillman that crack more than 30 inches deep when dry, and Foard, a cracking clay with a sodium-rich subsoil.
- What soils cause foundation problems in the Oklahoma City metro?Much of the OKC metro has deep red shale clays like Renfrow and Kirkland that shrink and swell; other areas have shallower sandy soils over sandstone.