When you underpin the foundation of your building, you change it or make it stronger. It has to be done when the original foundation starts to weaken and cannot hold up the house anymore. Most of the time, it happens when the structure of the soil changes. Your home may need foundation underpinning to ensure its structure stays strong because of soil type or outside forces. Here are the top two reasons why a homeowner might need foundation underpinning:
In places where homes are close to each other, it is not unusual to have to underpin an existing foundation.
Repurposing Existing Buildings
If a building needs a lot of work to be used for a different purpose, the foundation will likely need to be underpinned. With underpinning, the building’s foundation can be changed to serve its new purpose. Once the existing foundation is stabilized with underpinning, foundation elements can be added without affecting the rest of the building. Once the new parts of the foundation are in place, the old foundation can be safely taken away or used again with the new parts. The result is a foundation system that looks like a new building.
A cantilever needle beam is one of the ways that these foundation problems are often fixed. This method adds strength to certain parts of the foundation by using steel beams and columns that are already there, along with new micro piles on either side. With the help of the beams, the foundation underpinning can be expanded and improved, making way for the new building.
Underpinning Adjacent Buildings
In urban areas, high-rise and commercial buildings often reach the property line of the plots being built on. Therefore, these projects are very hard, especially if the excavation services require experts to dig deeper than the foundations of the buildings around them. When this happens, there is a high chance that the foundation next to it will settle or move. On the other hand, underpinning is a great way to lower risks. In turn, it will be easy for builders to build the new building without worrying about it settling.
This problem can be fixed with foundation underpinning. By ensuring the foundation next door stays in place, the builder on the new site can build the new building without worrying that it will move.
By adding cantilever elements along the property line of the new building, the foundation of the building next to it can be supported. These parts make the foundation next to them more robust and make it possible to dig right next to them.
These are two of the most important reasons to reinforce an already-built foundation. Homeowners may need these services if the soil under the foundation is underpinning shifts, if nearby construction digs up your soil, or if a natural disaster causes the building to move. If you notice changes in your home’s structure or foundation, you should always talk to a professional.