Underpinning foundations can help in drenched drought conditions
Underpinning foundations could be the solution if this year’s strange weather patterns have left your property standing on less stable ground.
Back in January, we told you about expansive soils – ground that expands or contracts to a large degree due to changes in moisture.
Since then, we have seen an early-spring heatwave that left the country facing drought conditions, followed by heavy rains that have caused disruption for quite the opposite reason.
With many people confused as to why they are subject to a hose-pipe ban when their garden is waterlogged, it’s worth considering what’s happening underground.
That dried-out soil during the highest temperatures of the drought is likely to have contracted in size – with expansive soils shrinking to a particularly large extent.
Now the rains have come, some areas will be swelling back to their fullest, which is likely to cause shifting in the foundations of buildings constructed in expansive soils.
If you suspect your property has weakened as a result of the strange conditions seen so far in 2012, you may want to look into underpinning foundations to help add extra support where it is no longer provided by the surrounding soil.
Precautions help Olympic Park pile foundations to be laid without risk
The pile foundations that will support stadiums on the Olympic Park in London this summer were laid with safety firmly in mind.
A report from the Health and Safety Executive and the Olympic Delivery Authority notes how the pile foundations were subject to safety assessments – in particular, attempts to determine how loud the work would be.
Planners then used a ‘bullseye’ method to create red, amber and green zones around any location where piling rigs would be used.
Those working on the piling rigs were required to wear ear defenders, while those further away had the choice over whether they wanted to wear them.
In the green zone, furthest from the piling rigs, no ear protection was necessary – and quieter work could continue uninterrupted.
The project is a great example of how foundation piling can take place even on a site where other work is being carried out, and how professionals can make sure no workers are put at unnecessary risk by doing so.
With all eyes turning to London this summer, it’s good to know that the Olympic venues are built on firm foundations – and that they were laid with safety in mind.
Underpinning foundations can help ‘naive’ first-time buyers
Underpinning foundations can help to make a property saleable again, if first-time buyers find they have purchased a home that suffers from subsidence.
Research from HSBC indicates that many first-time buyers are “naive” when it comes to buying their first home, and do not ask the most important questions of the vendor.
Just 5% consider subsidence to be something they should ask about – compared with 14% of estate agents who said it is an important question.
Instead, first-time buyers often focus on more general issues like location, garden size and the presence of local amenities – all of which they could find out for themselves, without asking the vendor.
“Buying a home is a serious financial commitment, so it is important that first-time buyers do their homework,” says HSBC’s head of mortgages Peter Dockar.
For those who find their new home is subject to subsidence, but who have already exchanged contracts and keys, underpinning foundations can help to prevent any further slipping of brickwork.
Even in poor ground conditions, we can combine pile foundations with needle beams to offer an extra level of support to a property.
With several types of piling foundations to choose from, contact our pile driving contractors and we can help you to decide which is right for your property.
Concrete piles make use of essential, economy-boosting materials
Concrete piles not only help to support your structure – they can also support the economy, according to a new government publication.
The National Planning Policy Framework has been compiled to address three concerns: sustainable economic growth; environmental protection; and complexity in the planning system.
It sets out plans to ensure quarried materials such as aggregates and concretes remain available for a long time to come, while noting that they are a finite resource.
But it also recognises the contribution towards economic growth that materials such as concrete can make.
Concrete piles have long been among the most frequently used methods of supporting new structures, but this may be the first time many people have become aware of their economic value.
“It is heartening to see recognition of the need for essential minerals as a strategic issue, both nationally and locally, and the great weight that needs to be given to the benefits of mineral extraction, including to the economy,” says Nigel Jackson, chief executive of the Mineral Products Association.
The NPPF calls for local policies to be created to safeguard the future supply of essential minerals, but adds that existing concrete batching facilities should be protected along with existing, planned and potential production sites for other concrete products.