Structural underpinning of a 1920s house

This property was a 1920s red brick house in located in Terenure, Dublin 6. It had suffered badly from subsidence, mainly due to its shallow foundations, which are common in houses built in the 1920s. Numerous cracks had appeared in both the external and internal walls, which caused the property to subside.

This was a major renovation project that ensured the property was liveable once again and conformed to current building standards.

What is subsidence? Subsidence can be described as the motion of the Earth’s surface as it shifts downward relative to a fixed point. The opposite of subsidence is uplift. Subsidence can cause structural damage to homes and property, which leaves homeowners stressed, anxious and worried. Some of the key signs that subsidence is causing structural damage are diagonal or horizontal cracks in walls, doors starting to stick, or drains becoming blocked.

Solution: Fitzpatrick & Heavey installed a new RC raft bearing on R32N drilled and grouted mini piles, installed with a rotary percussive rig to carry a maximum pile load of 100 kN. Once the new piles and raft foundation were installed, the floor was insulated to increase the property’s Building Energy Rating and bring the floor up to current construction standards. Finally, a floor screed was used to give the house a finished floor. The piles and underpinning scheme were fully certified by our Engineer in line with current building regulations BS 8004 and BS 8110.