Administrative buildings with high levels of use require a special approach to repair: any construction work must not disrupt employees’ work schedules. In this project, engineers tackled the challenge of salvaging the structure of a building damaged by a latent man-made disaster.
Reason for contacting: “The building began to collapse before our eyes.”
In 2014, the owner of the property noted a sharp deterioration in the building’s condition. Key symptoms included:
- Active crack formation:Horizontal, vertical, and inclined cracks began to appear in the brick walls and interior partitions. This indicated multidirectional deformation vectors within the frame.
- Floor slab subsidence:In a number of rooms on the first floor the floor level dropped by15 mm, which led to distortion of doorways, damage to the finished floor covering and the creation of obstacles to the use of the premises.
Problem Analysis: The Hidden Enemy Beneath the Foundation
A technical inspection revealed that the emergency condition was not caused by a construction error, but by an external man-made factor:
- Communications Breakthrough:Long-term leakage from water pipes located in close proximity to the building’s foundation.
- Foundation loosening:Under the influence of water, the soil lost its structural strength. Soil erosion occurred, creating zones of critical inhomogeneity directly beneath the foundation.
- Loss of bearing capacity:The weakened soil could no longer support the weight of the two-story brick building, which caused uncontrolled and uneven settlement.
Technical solution: Depth stabilization and lifting
To address the consequences, a solution was developed that combines two key technologiesGeoResin:
1. Strengthening the foundation using Deep Lifting technology
The first priority was to stop the settling of the external and internal load-bearing walls.
- Method:Injection of geopolymer under the base of strip foundations (74.6 linear meters).
- Result:The composition filled the decompression zones, displaced water, and formed a rigid foundation slab. This not only stopped the subsidence but also restored the soil’s design bearing capacity.
2. Restoring the correct position of floor slabs – Floor Lifting
After the foundation was stabilized, the engineers moved on to leveling the concrete floor.
- Method:Geopolymer injections directly under the floor slab.
- Result:Through controlled expansion of the material, the slab was smoothly raised to the design elevation (up to 15 mm). This restored slab-to-soil contact and eliminated any distortions.
Main advantage: Operation without interruption
A special feature of this case was the ability to carry out work during normal office hours:
- Cleanliness and silence:The absence of heavy drills, excavators and concrete pumps allowed employees to remain at their workstations.
- Minimal intervention:All injections were carried out through holes with a diameter of only 12-16 mm, which are easily masked after completion of the work.
- Polymerization speed:The geopolymer reaches 90% strength in just 15 minutes. This allows for immediate loading of the structure and monitoring of the results in real time.
Results and long-term effect
Project implementation allowed:
- Fully stabilizebuilding structure.
- Eliminate elevation differencesfloor (lift up to 15 mm).
- Stop cracks from opening andmaintain the integrity of the brickwork.
- Avoid costly renovationswith the departure of personnel and dismantling of communications.
The case of this administrative building proves that even the serious consequences of a water main break and soil erosion under the foundation can be mitigated. The key is to use the right technologies and perform the necessary calculations. GeoResin technology effectively “rebooted” the foundation, restoring its stability for decades.
Have you noticed cracks in the walls or subsidence in the floor in your office?Don’t wait until the deformations become critical. Contact the professionals!
WORKS ARE PERFORMED WITHOUT STOPPING THE BUILDING OPERATION
