Challenge
A Grade A-listed museum and council office was suffering long-term subsidence due to soft ground and tidal washout. Traditional underpinning required full building closure, which was not an option.
Solution
Geobear, acting as Principal Contractor, stabilised the building in 15 days using geopolymer injection at 250+ points. The building remained fully operational, including for marriage ceremonies.
Carbon footprint vs. underpinning
Building remained fully open
Project completion time
The Burnet building, a Grade A-listed museum and council office in Campbeltown, Scotland, had experienced long-term subsidence since the 2000s.
The structure, located adjacent to the dock, was suffering from structural cracking as high tides from Campbeltown Loch washed out fine soils, weakening the ground beneath the foundations.
The client, Argyll and Bute Council, needed to stabilise the historic building. However, traditional concrete underpinning would have required significant excavation and forced the complete closure of the multi-use public building for an extended period.
This would have halted museum visits, council operations, and marriage ceremonies, making it an unviable solution.
A minimally disruptive approach was a fundamental requirement.
Geobear was selected as Principal Contractor to deliver a full turnkey service.
The decision was based on our non-disruptive solution and our proven experience with heritage buildings.
Our engineers designed a targeted geopolymer injection plan to improve the soil's bearing capacity. The solution involved over 250 injection points, reaching depths of up to 2 metres below the primary load-bearing walls.
The entire 15-day project was completed while the building remained fully operational.
The project was completed on schedule with zero inconvenience to the public or council staff. Pre- and post-treatment Dynamic Probe Testing (DPT) verified the required improvement in ground strength.
The Geobear solution avoided a lengthy and disruptive closure, and its carbon footprint was 53% lower than underpinning, saving 23 tonnes of CO₂e.
The client had the confidence to proceed based on Geobear's quality case studies, which demonstrated a capability to deliver in sensitive, high-profile environments.
Don't let ground issues close your doors. Our proven, non-disruptive solutions are trusted by heritage and public-sector clients.