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University conversion fast-tracked with non-disruptive ground improvement

Challenge

A university needed to add a two-storey steel structure inside an old sports hall, requiring significant load-bearing improvements. Traditional excavation and piling were too costly and disruptive for the active campus.

Solution

Geobear injected geopolymer resin at two levels under the existing slab to support new columns and line loads, avoiding excavation and completing the work in 5 days.

5 days

Project completion time

0 excavation

Existing slab was retained

53% lower carbon footprint

Versus traditional piling

Background

York St. John University was in the second phase of converting its old sports hall for academic and medical use.

This phase involved building a new two-storey steel structure inside the high-ceilinged hall.

This required significant foundation upgrades to support the new column and wall loads.

Challenge

The main contractor needed to increase the ground's load-bearing capacity to support the new, heavy steel structure on the existing floor slab.

The traditional alternative was to excavate large sections of the existing slab to install new concrete pad foundations and strip footings.

This approach was rejected as it would introduce high costs, extended project timelines, and massive disruption (noise, mess, waste disposal) into an active university campus, posing a significant logistical challenge.

The Geobear solution avoided excavation and heavy machinery, ensuring a safer, cleaner, and more efficient site.

Solutions

Geobear was contracted for the project, having already proven the solution's success on phase one two years prior.

Our engineers designed a non-disruptive ground improvement solution, injecting geopolymer resin at two levels beneath the slab.

For new line loads (walls), injections were performed at one-meter intervals. For the new columns, injections were placed at four points per column to create a stable, load-bearing ground mass.

Rigorous pre- and post-testing verified that the treated ground met all specified load-bearing requirements.

St John case study

 

Results

The entire ground improvement project was completed in just four to five days, a fraction of the time traditional methods would have taken.

This allowed the main contractor to keep the project on schedule and minimise impact on the university's activities.

The solution retained the existing concrete slab, reducing the carbon footprint by 53% compared to a piled alternative.

The process avoided excavation and heavy machinery, ensuring a safer, cleaner, and more efficient site.

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