Problems related to pier and beam foundations can be be extremely difficult to pin-point as foundation problems since there are lots of things happening with pier and beam foundations that might normally not be contained in a standard slab on grade foundation, including the actual sagging with the beams involving the piers, or lateral movement from the piers, or uneven loading from the piers (that is a kind of foundation failure).
So not just may a pier and beam foundation be subject the same issues that a consistent concrete slab on grade foundation could be be subject to, but a pier and beam foundation could have additional conditions could possibly have almost nothing regarding the soil supporting the piers. Let's briefly discuss some of the non-soil related problems.
One in the main problems that you might have having a pier and beam foundation has about either deterioration (rotting) in the beams spanning between piers (if using wood beams) or excessive deflections (sagging from the beams). As wood beams get older, they tend to disintegrate as they are not thoroughly protected in the environment. As structural inspection perth pass by, the beams will increasingly sag, which means that everything that those beams are supporting will even sag. A wall being sustained by these beams will start cracking, giving the illusion that you've a foundation problem. concrete engineers wa would usually manage to show you if this is a problem
Another common problem for pier and beam foundations is the lateral movement with the piers. In many instances a floor on the pier and beam foundation is several feet out in the ground, we've even seen houses out with more than 4ft away from the ground. As it is possible to imagine, if the wind pressure pushes from the house these wind forces should be somehow transferred time for the ground which suggests the top of those piers act as flag poles, swaying forward and backward with the wind. It may not noticeable for the human eye, however the little movement will develop some cracks in the walls, supplying you with again the illusion that there is a foundation problem. Once again, an educated Structural Engineer would have the ability to determine if this sounds like a problem.
Uneven pier loading is an additional prevalent problem for pier and beam foundations. This is usually a problem using the design of the foundation since it refers to knowing where to position the piers. Heavily loaded areas (like load bearing walls) and lightly loaded areas (like inside middle of the lounge) could settle differentially from the other if your design had not been done correctly from your beginning; which is, the piers around the heavy loaded may "sink" more than the piers inside lightly loaded areas if the piers just weren't properly engineered. This differential movement causes cracks inside the floors (if using brittle finishes) and also cracks in the wall. This is a foundation problem, but this is extremely challenging to verify it since it could be easily mistaken for soil movement due to the soil moisture changing. Your best bet is to get a Structural Engineer to gauge the situation.
concrete structure analysis have undergone just a few types of conditions you might face which has a pier and beam foundation, in addition to being you can view, not all problems have regarding the foundation. It is a lot more than you would think. The moral of the story is, just because the truth is a crack that doesn't mean you've got a foundation problem, and if you need a genuine and unbiased opinion then get yourself a Structural Engineer it doesn't benefit a foundation repair company.