Case studies
Dealing with sunken floors and subsidence
The problem
Floor slab settlement and sunken foundation problems in domestic housing can be traumatic for occupants, as conventional solutions usually involve having to find alternative accommodation, sometimes for weeks or even months.
The solution
Uretek's slab lifting and Deep Injection processes can treat the average domestic house in one working day, with no need to re-house occupants.
"The reason that we go for Uretek is that tenants can just move to another room while the work is undertaken," said Steve Davis, Principal Structural Engineer for Enfield Borough Council, for whom Uretek have carried out work on numerous properties, particularly on the Bullsmoor estate.
"Wherever we get the opportunity we use Uretek, rather than use traditional methods. We've found that with Uretek, if occupants have to leave it's for a day, rather than for the time it would take if the slab had to be broken up and relaid."
Settlement problems for porches, conservatories and extensions
The problem
Settlement and subsidence problems to the tens of thousands of porches and conservatories which been added on, often without adequate foundations, to existing structures can be a real headache. The disruption and cost of traditional remedial methods may not seem to justify the effort.
"Piling seemed a bit of a drastic solution to this problem when disturbance and upheaval for the occupants was taken into account," commented Mark Bilton of Hanover Housing Association, describing the settlement and partial detachment of seven porches in a development of single-storey linked properties belonging to the Association, built eight years ago in Horwich, Lancashire.
The solution
Having considered the options, Hanover decided to use Uretek because resin injection has the advantage of minimal disruption – no excavations are needed, and there is little or no dust or mess.
At Horwich, Uretek's Deep Injection process was carried out over a period of five days and restored all seven porches to level. The occupants did not have to be relocated.
At Redditch Borough Council, for whom Uretek have completed over thirty porch stabilisations, the prime concern was to not add more loading to poor ground.
"It's a matter of practicality," commented the Council's Ashley Stokes. "With more traditional systems you're just adding more weight, and there was obviously a problem with the ground to start with. It was poor ground, and there was no provision of a proper foundation initially.
"In this situation the Uretek system is ideal, and it can stabilise a porch within half a day."
