Most building collapse scenarios across the world have been attributed
to faulty, weak or unstable foundations/sub-structures or issues of
overloading of certain structural members within it. Many may wonder if
there is any remedy to damaged or poorly-constructed foundations.
The
good news is -Yes there is. For buildings or other structures with
poor, faulty or weak foundations, underpinning operations can be carried
out to correct such defects without aesthetic distortion or demolition.
Similarly, in buildings for which extra-loading is intended to be
introduced (due to remodeling or change of use) beyond the original
design, underpinning is also recommended. In the latter case, it is
important to first carry out an in-depth assessment of the strength of
the foundation in order to ascertain if it can sufficiently sustain the
additional load and safely transmit it to the ground on which it rests.
Generally when a major renovation, repair, addition, alteration or
conversion work is to be performed on an existing building of one-storey
or more, a structural integrity test on its load-bearing elements and
components should be carried out by a structural engineer to ascertain
current structural needs or deficiencies. This assessment should form an
essential part of the condition survey of the existing building from
which the schedule of dilapidation will be prepared and submitted for
the purpose of measurement/valuation and subsequent work.
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