Underpinning
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In construction, underpinning is the process of strengthening and stabilizing the foundation of an existing building or other structure. Underpinning may be necessary for a variety of reasons:
- The original foundation is simply not strong or stable enough, e.g. due to decay of wooden piles under the foundation.
- The usage of the structure has changed.
- The properties of the soil supporting the foundation may have changed (possibly through subsidence) or were mischaracterized during planning.
- The construction of nearby structures necessitates the excavation of soil supporting existing foundations.
- It is more economical, due to land price or otherwise, to work on the present structure's foundation than to build a new one.
Underpinning is accomplished by extending the foundation in depth or in breadth so it either rests on a stronger soil stratum or distributes its load across a greater area. Use of micropiles [1] and jet grouting are common methods in underpinning. An alternative to underpinning is the strengthening of the soil by the introduction of a grout. All of these processes are generally expensive and elaborate.
Underpinning may be necessary where P class (problem) soils in certain areas of the site are encountered,