Is Your Infrastructure Asking For A Firm Foundation

Are you planning to add new stories to your existing structure or thinking of gifting a makeover to your place of stay? But, hey are you sure that your foundations are strong enough to bear the load of those added stories? Seeing your house made with blood, sweat and tears shattering within seconds in front of your eyes in a heap of debris is the worst nightmare one could ever have.

 

Most of the structures in the UK were built a long time ago and are craving to get a makeover. Whether it is the rapidly changing environmental factors that are to be blamed or the external human pressures, all of these are just contributing in weakening the structures whose foundations were laid a long time back.

 

 

There are a number of methods of underpinning which can be employed depending upon the ground conditions. These include traditional underpinning (which is very common in London), Pile and beam method, Underpinning using piled raft and underpinning with screw piles and brackets.

Some of the signs which reflects that your structure is asking for a stability providing agent may be witnessed in following situations-

• If there are some visible scars or cracks in the building then it is an indication that the foundations are turning old and need underpinning before it reaches the stage of sinking.

• Another element that might be the reason behind the existing foundation losing its strength is when there is a makeover in the structure of the building leading to additional load on the foundation which is beyond its bearing capacity.

• When a nearby construction of a building with deep foundations seems to have adverse effects on the existing neighboring building.

• Before the commencement of the process of imparting requisite stability to the structure underpinning ground surveys need to be conducted in order to determine the ground quality and to have access to other relevant information.

• Assessing the ground quality would help in evaluating the cost and will also enable the engineers to take requisite safety measures before the implementation of the solution.

• The structural engineer should start the process from the corners as part of an intelligent safety measure.

• Care should be taken that the act of underpinning is performed on the load bearing walls only.

• Framwork should be used on the edges.

• The cavity caused due to excavation should be filled with the concrete mix which should be a concoction of one part of cement, three parts of sand and six parts of aggregates.

• The concrete mix should be allowed to set for at least 2 days; it’s only after that the structural engineer should proceed with further processing.

• A rod bar can be used by the engineers to ensure that the cavity is filled up properly.

• In order to avoid serious structural damage, it is imperative for the structural engineers to conduct a thorough analysis and then only after a calculative procedure an apt method of underpinning should be selected.

• If an apt methodology is not opted then it may lead to the structure losing its entire load-bearing capacity which would be nothing but a trailer of the sinking of the entire structure.

Underpinning is a technical work which should be left in the hands of those who are competent in this field. Thus, expert structural engineers can be appointed who will help in framing the apt design for your infrastructure.

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