Challenge
Long-term settlement and drainage-related ground deterioration threatened a large Victorian property, requiring foundation stabilisation without the disruption and cost of traditional underpinning.
Solution
Geobear injected 1,296kg of geopolymer through 27 treatment locations, improving bearing capacity and stabilising foundations in just two shifts without excavation.
Targeted foundation treatment
Geopolymer installed
Total delivery programme
Geobear was appointed to stabilise a substantial three-storey Victorian property in Cork City that had experienced structural movement over many years.
Investigations identified long-term settlement compounded by drainage-related ground deterioration beneath the foundations. Given the age, scale, and ongoing renovation of the building, the owner required a solution capable of addressing the underlying ground conditions while minimising disruption to the wider refurbishment programme.
A fast, engineered solution was required to improve foundation support without extensive structural intervention.
The property was a large Victorian-era structure dating from the 1800s, making foundation remediation particularly sensitive. The owner needed to address the underlying settlement issues while maintaining progress on wider renovation works already underway.
Traditional mass concrete underpinning was considered as the primary alternative. However, this would have required extensive excavation beneath the foundations, significant spoil removal, heavy construction plant, and a much longer construction programme.
The client sought a less disruptive alternative that could be delivered quickly while providing verifiable improvement to the ground conditions.
Customer
Geobear designed a bespoke ground improvement programme targeting the weakened soils beneath the affected foundations.
The treatment comprised:
The expanding geopolymer consolidated and strengthened the underlying soils, improving load distribution and foundation support throughout the treatment area.
The works were completed without excavation, spoil removal, or heavy plant, significantly reducing disruption compared to traditional underpinning methods.
The ground beneath the Victorian property was successfully stabilised, addressing the long-term settlement and drainage-related deterioration affecting the foundations.
The entire programme was completed in just two shifts, allowing the owner's wider refurbishment works to continue without interruption.
Key project outcomes included:
The project demonstrates how geopolymer ground improvement can provide an effective alternative to traditional underpinning for historic and heritage buildings where speed, access, and minimal disruption are critical.
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