Challenge
Structural movement and cracking affected a bungalow and extension, including an original gable wall now enclosed within the property.
Solution
Geobear’s ground improvement solution treated affected foundation lines internally and externally in two shifts, avoiding extensive excavation and underpinning.
Works completed
Bungalow and extension
Targeted treatment
Geobear was engaged to carry out ground improvement works at a bungalow with a small adjoining extension in Co. Mayo.
The property had experienced structural movement and wall cracking affecting both the original bungalow and the extension.
The extension had been constructed around the bungalow’s original gable end. As a result, part of what had once been an external load-bearing wall was now positioned internally within the extended property.
This created an unusual access requirement. The remedial solution needed to treat the affected foundation lines around the property while also reaching the original gable foundation from inside the extension.
Drainage infrastructure was also located within the treatment area and had to be exposed or removed before the ground improvement works could begin.
The principal issue was structural movement affecting the bungalow and adjoining extension, with visible cracking to the walls.
The arrangement of the extension increased the complexity of the remediation because the original gable end was now enclosed within the building. Any solution needed to address this internal foundation line as well as the externally accessible areas.
Drainage pipes passing through the treatment zone added a further constraint and had to be dealt with before remediation commenced.
The property was occupied, so limiting disturbance inside and around the bungalow was also an important consideration.
Traditional underpinning was the main conventional alternative considered.
This would have required extensive excavation beneath the affected load-bearing walls, including beneath the original gable end now located inside the extension.
Such an approach would have generated significant spoil and created substantial disturbance both within and around the property. The presence of drainage infrastructure would also have made an excavation-based solution more complex.
Geobear instead proposed a ground improvement solution using targeted geopolymer injection beneath the affected foundation lines.
The treatment could be delivered from a combination of internal and external locations. This enabled the original gable foundation to be addressed from within the extension while the remaining affected areas were treated externally.
The approach avoided the extensive open excavation and prolonged site activity associated with conventional underpinning.
Geobear designed a solution to treat the affected foundation lines around both the original bungalow and the adjoining extension.
Targeted geopolymer injection was used from both internal and external locations, allowing the full treatment area to be addressed despite the unusual building layout.
The original gable end enclosed within the extension was successfully incorporated into the treatment programme, while the remaining affected foundation areas were accessed externally.
All Geobear works were completed within two shifts.
The treatment avoided extensive excavation beneath the load-bearing walls and reduced the amount of intrusive work required inside and around the property.
The customer reported being very pleased with the outcome and with the limited disruption associated with the works.
| Traditional underpinning | Geobear ground improvement |
|---|---|
| Extensive excavation beneath walls | Targeted treatment beneath foundations |
| Internal excavation required at enclosed gable | Gable treated from within the extension |
| Significant spoil generation | Limited excavation |
| Complex works around drainage | Targeted access around affected areas |
| Longer programme | Completed in two shifts |
| Greater disruption to the property | Reduced site disruption |
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