Foundation settlement is a phenomenon that occurs within 3-5 years after the completion of the construction of a building. If the permissible settlement norms are exceeded due to violation of operating conditions, there is a threat of damage and destruction of the structural elements of the building. In this case, settlement is considered subsidence, which must be eliminated.
A sign of foundation subsidence is deformation and damage to the structural elements of the building. Cracks may appear in the walls or in the foundation, the floor slabs of the first floor may sag, door and window openings may become warped, etc.
When cracks and other deformations are detected, the building is inspected and it is clarified whether only the wall cladding layer is affected or whether there is damage to the supporting structures. If there is damage to the structural elements, and the cause of this damage is excessive foundation subsidence, it is necessary to carry out repair work not only to eliminate the damage itself, but also to eliminate the cause of their appearance.
CLASSIC FOUNDATION REINFORCEMENT
The traditional way to restore the structural characteristics of a building is to strengthen the foundation. The concept of “strengthening the foundation” itself is very broad. For example, if at the design stage of a house, according to the results of calculations, it turned out that the adopted foundation width is insufficient and the building gives a load greater than the soil can withstand, then it is necessary to recalculate the project with an increased foundation width, that is, “strengthen the foundation”.
You can also increase the width of the foundation on a finished object, which entails extensive earthworks and concrete work. Strengthening the foundation of a built house involves a very laborious and lengthy process. To increase the width of the foundation, you need to dig it out along the perimeter of the entire building. However, this cannot be done at the same time due to the risk of destroying the entire structure. With the traditional approach, work on strengthening the foundation is carried out in stages, in small sections. At the same time, it is necessary to understand that the concrete used to increase the width of the foundation gains strength in 28 days.
INNOVATIVE SOIL REINFORCEMENT
Geopolymer technologies Premium Technologies allow to solve the problem of strengthening the foundation in a different way. The foundation is a structure that transfers the load to the soil. The subsidence of the foundation begins in cases where the pressure on the soil is greater than the standard. The task of stopping and eliminating the subsidence of the foundation can be solved not only by strengthening the foundation, but also by strengthening the soil. In this case, the foundation will remain as it is, and no work will need to be done with it.
The fact is that the foundation and the soil are not separate elements, but work in pairs in the form of a soil-foundation system. As soon as the bearing capacity of the soil is increased to the required values, the foundation will begin to function normally. And as a result, we can say that “foundation strengthening” has occurred.
FEATURES OF GEOPOLYMER INJECTION
Stopping and eliminating foundation settlement by strengthening the soil is carried out by injecting Premium Technologies geopolymer resins. In this case, there is no need for earthworks and concrete works, and all procedures for restoring the characteristics of the structural elements of the building take about two to three days.
In order to inject geopolymers, it is necessary to drill holes for pipes with a diameter of 12 mm, through which geopolymers will be injected. In some cases, it is possible to insert two or three pipes into one hole to supply geopolymer material to different depths. All procedures are performed using small mobile tools, without involving large construction equipment.