Construction & Contractors Blog
Certainly, the foundation is the backbone of any building. Its purpose is to support the parts built above the ground. A good foundation translates to a strong building that can stand the test of time. A bad one, on the other hand, is similar to a ticking time bomb that can explode at any time and wreak havoc. Bad foundations are a common cause of collapsing buildings that damage buildings and kill people in the process. It is important to rectify foundation problems within the shortest possible period to prevent severe accidents. Underpinning a foundation is one of the best ways to do this. Here is a look at some of the instances that necessitate underpinning.
Protection Foundation Works
Essentially, underpinning is a process of extending the depth and breadth of a foundation to strengthen it and ensure that it has adequate support from the surrounding soil stratum. Protection works necessitate underpinning because they are a preventive measure taken to evade accidents and the dire consequences of a bad foundation. Your foundation undergoes such works if it is not stable and robust enough to perform its functions. Additionally, you can use underpinning if there is nearby excavation bound to affect the foundation of your building.
Remedial Foundation Works
During construction, contractors and workers sometimes make mistakes. They might not be a big deal in the initial years of the building's life. However, they become a cause of concern as time goes on. For instance, the weight of the building will cause deeps cracks on various floors if the foundation has trouble withstanding the weight of the building. Mistakes such as the wrong cement-to-sand ratio can cause gradual subsidence and weakening of the foundation. Underpinning allows you to make up for such mistakes by installing piles and other support points to reinforce the foundation.
Conversion Foundation Works
It is normal for buildings to serve multiple purposes in the course of their useful life. For instance, you can convert a storage unit into a residential house by adding more floors and rooms. Such a change alters the load-bearing capacity of the building, necessitating conversion works for a suitable foundation. Generally, conversion works come in handy when you want to change the function of the building from the existing one. Most cases of conversion involve strengthening the foundation to offer more support to the structure.
Underpinning is the best method of working on your foundation if it needs any of the procedures discussed here. You can go for mass pouring, pile systems or beam and base method to build a reliable foundation.
Share26 December 2018
Welcome to my blog, my name is Blake and from now on, I will be writing a series of blogs which will deal with the process of finding and working with contractors when constructing a new building. I am not a construction specialist but last summer I gained a lot of experience in this area when I hired a team of 32 contractors to build a holiday home. When hiring contractors, it is important that you understand how to communicate with them and their ways of working. Below are a series of blogs which will help you to find the best contractors.