Annington Homes

The history

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In 1996, Annington Homes purchased the married quarter’s estate from the MOD, leasing them back. When the properties, are no longer required, the properties are returned to Annington Homes who renovate and sell the houses back into the UK housing stock.

The problem

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The properties are located on a housing estate in West London which had suffered subsidence and as part of extensive investigations, Shire Stabilizers supplied by Wykamol Structural were proposed to stabilise 14 of the worst affected properties.

Picture of the piles driven within one of the properties. Reinforcement has seen set into the pile and into the existing footing and the formwork casing set around the pile, awaiting concreting.

The solution 

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A scheme was prepared to stabilise the houses and submitted to the local authority, Hillingdon District Council. They undertook their own comprehensive investigation into the appropriateness of the proposals and after extensive scrutiny, works commenced in October 2009 with a Wykamol Structural Approved Shire Pile Installer, Antares Construction Ltd appointed to undertake the piling works. The works were broken down into two phases, thus allowing the client to complete and release half of the properties whilst the remaining units were repaired and completed.

In total, 1200 Shire Stabilizers were installed with a number of revisions to the original design being necessary to cater for unforeseen obstructions under the properties which were part of the original foundations to structures which had been developed on this site prior to the houses being sited here.

Whilst the site is predominantly formed of fill material, there was an element of cohesive soil within the matrix and it was therefore felt that a comprehensive scheme of vegetation management should be undertaken prior to stabilisation and the stabilisers were driven to a depth beyond the zone of influence of any remaining vegetation to reduce the risk of any future movement. The project is the largest single undertaking, completed by the Wykamol Structural and is considered a success by the client.

Shire Stabilizer being driven