Rotherham Borough Council

The problem 

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Settlement had occurred to the front and left hand elevations of the property, causing cracking above and below the window openings on the front and to the gable wall.  On further inspection, the original foundations to the property were found to be shallow and sit on a clay strata.

The solution

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A scheme of repairs was designed to install 23 Shire Stabilizers to support and reinforce the existing foundations to the front and side elevation.  This involved excavating small pockets against the wall length, driving in the Shire Stabilizers to an adequate supportive strata and design load and then providing reinforced pile-cap connections to the existing foundation.

The fractured brickwork was reinforced with Thor Helical bed-joint reinforcement and Thor Helical Masonry Beaming was inserted over the affected window openings to reinforce and ease the load weight off the existing lintel.

All fractured mortar joints and slots cut into the bed-joints of the brickwork were then sympathetically re-pointed in a colour-blended mortar to try ensure the repair were non-visible.

The benefits 

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TBL were able to offer an effective, economical solution to the structural problems.  Costs were far less than traditional piling or underpinning methods. Minimal excavation and lighter plant enabled safer working methods and the scheme enabled us to complete the whole project in under 2 weeks – even in poor, wet weather conditions.  This also meant that disruption to the tenants and neighbouring properties were kept to a minimum.

The Thor Helical masonry reinforcement scheme allowed TBL to strengthen and repair the brickwork structure without the need for expensive and disruptive methods of traditional take-down and re-build, and are designed to be less visible.  This just goes to show that we ensure that all buildings – regardless of age or design – are treated with the same care and respect they deserve.