Underpinning
What is underpinning and why is it important? If your foundation is weak or you want more space in your home and cannot build up, you build down instead! Reasons for underpinning can vary from structural damage to natural causes affecting the foundation. With underpinning, you are basically building a new foundation under the existing foundation. The most common method of underpinning is the mass concrete technique. This method has been around for about 100 years and the protocol is still the same.
When your foundation is weak and you need to strengthen it, underpinning is your best bet because of how reliable it is. We start the process of underpinning by breaking up the current flooring with a jackhammer and digging out the existing soil to the desired depth. Once all the debris is removed, more soil is strategically removed so we can then start pouring concrete to create foundation walls. The more concrete pockets that are poured into the ground, the more strength your foundation will have. After the concrete has cured, we use a dry pack, a mixture of sand and cement, that is placed on top.
There are a few different underpinning processes including:
• Mass Concrete Pouring
• Screw Piles and Brackets
• Pile and Beam
• Using a Piled Raft
• And More!
Our engineers at Bricklands Inc. have been doing underpinning work for many years and can identify the best process for your home. Once your new foundation is complete, never worry again about the floors you are walking on.
When your structure or building needs need underpinning, give us a call!
