We purchased our 1946 home last year and have been trying out to figure out what these 2×3 ft concrete patches are along the perimeter of our basement. There are three of them, two on one wall and one on an adjoining wall. One of them has some sort of iron/steel daylighting out of the top of the patch, right along the wall. Is this some sort of foundation support that was put in? Perhaps a push pier?
(The wood studs are legs of a shelf)
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When I first looked at your photo I thought "helical pier". Then I googled "push pier" and think that may be it based on what is shown.
30 years of getting Fine homebuilding, JLC and others and working in the trades I've never heard the term "push pier".
It's tough to tell from your photo what the wall is but does it have a repaired crack at each pier location? Your photo only shows the top 10% when I click on it to zoom in.
It's hard to say whether or not there is a repaired crack eat each pier location because there is a concrete surface coating over the interior of the foundation, which I assume is either hand placed stone or clay block. I live in Great Falls, MT, which has a good amount of expansive soil, and nearly all of the old houses have been affected by it. So it wouldn't be surprising if there was some sort of remediation work done to add support to the foundation. I pulled all past permits that are on file with the city, but, alas, nothing for foundation work.
If the coating on the wall isn’t cracked then they are probably doing their job.
People repaint their kitchen cabinets on a whim. Nobody, ever, reinforces their foundation walls on a whim ?. Whatever was put under that wall was needed and looks to be doing it’s job.