Challenge
An insurer needed to resolve a complex residential subsidence claim caused by high-shrinkage clay and large trees. The traditional underpinning solution was slow, disruptive, and costly.
Solution
Geobear's BBA-accredited clay shrinkage treatment was injected to a 2.0m depth. The non-disruptive process stabilised the ground in just one day, with no excavation or tree removal.
Project completion time
Trees removed
Avoided from underpinning alternative
A residential property in Southern England, insured by the client, was suffering from BRE 251 Cat 2 structural damage.
The property's 1.0m deep strip footings were too shallow for the underlying ground conditions.
The client, an insurance provider and their loss adjuster, needed a fast, data-backed, and minimally disruptive solution for their policyholder.
Ground investigations confirmed the damage was due to clay shrinkage subsidence. Laboratory tests revealed the soil was a "very high plasticity" clay with "high shrinkable potential."
The issue was exacerbated by a 20m high oak tree, which had desiccated the soil to a depth of 1.8m—well below the foundations.
The traditional solution was to underpin the property to 2.0m below the foundations. This would have taken approximately 7 days, created significant waste, and caused major disruption for the homeowner.
The insurer needed a more efficient solution that would solve the problem without requiring the protected trees to be removed.
Geobear proposed its unique, BBA-accredited clay shrinkage treatment. Our engineers designed a plan to drill small 14mm holes at 0.5m intervals and inject a specialist two-component geopolymer to a depth of 2.0m below ground level.
The liquid resin permeates the natural fissures in the desiccated clay. As it expands, it consolidates the soil, greatly reducing its bulk permeability.
This inhibits the seasonal shrink-swell cycle, improving the ground and preventing the tree roots from drawing further moisture from the treatment zone, all without harming the tree.
The entire, non-disruptive operation was completed in one day.
Post-treatment monitoring confirmed the solution's success. The building's seasonal movement was reduced to less than 2mm, which is well within acceptable limits.
This provided a swift and efficient resolution for the insurance company. The claim was settled, the homeowner was able to stay in their property without disruption, and the trees were saved.
The solution was faster, cleaner, and more cost-effective than the traditional underpinning alternative.
Offer your policyholders a data-backed, non-disruptive solution that saves time, money, and hassle.
