Foundations play a crucial role in the strength and longevity of any building structure. When the foundations are strong, your building can last forever without getting any major damage. However, weak foundations lead to risks of collapse and other significant damages. Sometimes, the existing foundations start weakening and struggle to support your structure. To provide support and strengthen these foundations, you need underpinning.
Before you call underpinning contractors, you must know what it is and why it’s important. Today, we will help you understand the underpinning by providing a comprehensive overview of the whole process. Along with that, we will also tell you why it’s important for your residential or commercial buildings. Let’s move forward without any ado.
Understanding Underpinning
Underpinning is a process of strengthening or supporting the existing foundations of the building. It may involve different construction techniques to get the desired results. You need to opt for underpinning when:
The existing foundations are weak and cannot support the load of the structure.
You are planning to add more load to the structure and prepare foundations to bear this load.
The solid conditions change and it cannot bear the load of structures.
You want to provide additional support and stability to your structure to increase its durability.
Underpinning Process
To better understand what is underpinning, you need to go through the whole process. It will help in acknowledging what happened during the underpinning process. The main steps involved in it are:
Early Assessment
The first step is the early assessment of the place where underpinning needs to be done. The assessment involves an inspection of the existing foundations to understand if they need to be strengthened or not. It is also done to plan the whole process and select suitable materials
Preparation
Once done with the assessment, the next step is site preparation. It is done by cleaning the area and ensuring there is enough room for equipment to access the area.
Excavation
Soil excavation is the main thing you need to do to make room for the new foundation materials and install them appropriately. Excavation is done beneath the existing foundations using different equipment, ensuring your structure doesn’t get damaged.
Installation of Support Elements
The next step is the installation of support elements. These support elements will strengthen the foundations so they can bear the loads efficiently. The main support elements used for this process are reinforced concrete piles. The depth and the number of support elements will be based on your requirements.
Monitoring and Testing
The whole underpinning process is monitored by skilled and trained engineers to mitigate the risk of any damage throughout the process. After installation of the support material, the underpinning work is tested to ensure it can bear the load of the structure.
Restoration
Once. everything is done and the support material is tested, the ground at the underpinning site is restored to its original condition. Backlifting the excavation and repairing any damage to the construction site are the main things performed during this restoration process.
Importance of Underpinning
Underpinning offers countless benefits and functions making them important for any construction project. Let’s explore why underpinning is important in the construction process.
Foundation Stability
Foundation instability is one of the primary reasons behind different damages to a structure. If left unnoticed, it can result in the collapse of the structure. Underpinning stabilizes the foundations mitigating the risk of damage to the structure.
Support for Additional Load
When you build your home, office, or any other structure, you focus on current requirements only. However, your requirements may change after a few years and you need to build multiple floors on an existing structure. You cannot put extra load on the existing foundations as it can risk the stability of the overall structure. Underpinning is required to provide support for this additional load.
Adapting Changing Conditions
The soil conditions may change over the years. The soil stable a few years back may not be strong enough to support heavy loads. It often happens due to external factors and natural disasters. To adopt changing conditions, you need underpinning. It will provide support to your structures even when the soil is not stable.
Meeting Safety Standards
There are certain safety standards your building must meet, especially in developed areas like Essex. Opting for underpinning in Essex helps in meeting these safety standards and other building regulations.
Enhanced Property Value
Underpinning plays a crucial role in enhancing your property’s value. When buyers know a building is stable and will last for a long time without any damage, they pay more for it. Underpinning increases the stability and longevity of your commercial and domestic buildings, boosting their resale value.
Underpinning is important to boost the durability and strength of any structure. Whenever you feel the existing foundations are not strong enough, immediately opt for underpinning.
