Ground/foundation movement

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Harria70

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Evening,

Wondering if anyone could give me some advice on a structural matter. Is there any way to tell if a foundation that has moved ( concrete strip cracked actually ) sometime in the past, will carry on moving if I renew the loose brickwork on the footing?
Is there some sort of test to know whether it has consolidated and will now be firm enough ?

I do plan on getting a structural engineer out but am concerned they may automatically just say underpin !
 
The only way that I know of for certain is to fit a glass tell tale at the top of any cracks in a wall. Perhaps you would be best asking the same question to the structural eng. who comes as he will be able to see what is involved and recommend any investigations you need to do. If you have no cracking in any walls then I doubt it is or ever will be a problem if you suspect it has been there for a length of time
 
The problem is that the brickwork at floor level and below are loose, the mortar line has debonded when it dropped. I can move the brick work by pushing on it.
If I knew that the ground had found it's settle point, I'd just get a brickie to replace the first 5/6 course of brick. What concerns me is that if those course of brick are loose, then the full weight of wall probably isn't on them right now, if I put the weight back on, it may move again.
Just wondered if there was a soil test or something that could be done.
 
Harria70 said:
if I put the weight back on
Click to expand...
How do you plan on achieving this?

If you brick up the entrance to a railway tunnel, the bridge doesn't spontaneously start transferring all the weight of what it is supporting, to your new wall
 
Morning.
The crack on the upper part of the wall has been repointed, the crack was in numerous places, right upto the adjacent wall. The brickwork above the cracking, up to the ceiling is straight.
If the weight of the wall was bearing down on the brickwork below the floor level, surely I wouldn't be able to move it with my hand, so what's holding the wall up ?
Robin, I guess the ceiling would need supporting and you'd have to build the whole wall, not part of. Although, what about when people replace a damp course, three brick at a time ?
 
Harria70 said:
If the weight of the wall was bearing down on the brickwork below the floor level, surely I wouldn't be able to move it with my hand
Click to expand...
True
Harria70 said:
so what's holding the wall up ?
Click to expand...
Do you know how an arch bridge works? I.e. why a bridge doesn't fall down into the empty space under the bridge?

Your wall is no different. If you come to a brick wall and smash out a hole at the bottom of it, it starts to work like a bridge. If there were no mortar at all and you removed 3 bricks at the base, the 2 above them would fall out, then the 1 above those would fall out, then nothing else. The presence of mortar makes it even more difficult for them to fall out, but in either case you don't end up with some sort of cascade where all the bricks above the 3, right the way up to the top of the wall, all fall out. If bricks weren't laid with a staggered pattern then you could more easily achieve a full height failure, but bricks aren't laid like that
 
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I'll speak to a engineer next week. If the weight is now transferred to the brickwork on the sides, like two nibs, maybe it would be acceptable to have a RSJ fitted and knock it through and have a thru living room to dining room
 
Hello,
Can anyone advise on what the easiest method of underpinning would be on a internal wall ? And what sort of cost it would be for a 4m length. Rang a couple of companies today and they aren't interested working internally, as one guy put it '' There's easier ways to make money''
 
No one can tell you if a foundation will or wont move at some future date. But reasoned assessment can be made.

You would not randomly decide to underpin an internal or any wall, without considering the cause and the options for repair. And you would not get the answer on an internet forum either.
 
The structural engineer has basically left it up to the BCO to decide and from what builders have told me these fellas aren't out to do you any favours. It's a bit worrying if two companies who actually do underpinning, don't even want to think about it if it's inside.
 
If it's cracked then it was probably inadequately deep or strong. So it won't suddenly become adequate.

You could spend more on reports and pondering than you'd spend on getting a bloke with a digger to rip it all out and start again.
 
You should have an independent person diagnose the cause and specify the solution. Not a company that will carry out the solution that they recommend.

BCOs don't decide or specify works. They are inspectors only and check work. They have no remit to specify anything, nor do they have any liability for anything they may "suggest" or even approve.

Builders build, and do not design.

You would be a fool to rely on anything or anyone other than an independent and insured chartered structural engineer.

You need to know exactly why any existing foundation has cracked in the first place. "Ripping it up" and starting again is no guarantee that the new concrete wont crack again.
 
No, Jurassic, no isues outside. It's only the internal wall, the brickwork below the concrete floor level are loose, the concrete strip foundation has cracked.
That's issue Ivor, it's inside a house, you won't get a digger in. As you say, you can spend thousands before you've even put a spade in the ground, everyone wants a piece of the money. I've been reading up today about possible options, micro screw piles or resin ?
 
Woody, the engineer has suggested doing away with the wall altogether and putting a beam in, BUT, in his report he's said ''ASK BCO if it will require an Underpin''. This I find strange, the qualified proffessional deffering the decision to a unqualified BCO ?
 
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