How Geotechnical Assessment Helps Control Settlement Issues

You may have seen a building develop cracks even within a year of its construction. Ground settlement can be one of the reasons for that. You can be sure that the land owner did not get the geotechnical assessment done before the construction.

If he had done the geotechnical assessment of the site, he could have known the characteristics of the soils. He would have known if the site is rocky or has enough strength to carry the load of a multi-story building. 

If the soil is sandy or full of granules, it may not have enough strength to carry the loads of a large building. A piled raft foundation might help you stabilise the building foundation.

But why does ground settlement occur? Let’s find out.

The Real Reasons for Ground Settlement

Ground settlement can be of different types. There is immediate settlement, differential settlement and long-term settlement.

An immediate settlement occurs if the soil is not strong enough to carry the loads of the building, and it immediately settles under the increased load. The name of this type of settlement issues comes from the uneven and settlement of different areas. This type of settlement may lead to developing cracks in your house.

On the other hand, long-term settlement don’t develop quickly. It takes time to reveal its characteristics.

If you construct a building without proper inspection and assessment of the ground, you might end up constructing on a weak soil. Sometimes, high water level, or weak soil structure may lead to ground settlement.

Geotechnical Assessment - In Brief

When it comes to ensuring the safety of your new home, geotechnical assessment should be a top priority. You want to check soil density, strength and get other information? The geotechnical assessment is the only way to do so. You can also use a drilling rig to take soil samples to test the soil quality of the site.

Alternatively, if you want to check the soil density, use a split spoon. The technical team measures how many hammer blows it takes to drive the split spoon into the ground. If it takes 50-80 blows to drive the spoon into the ground, it means the soil is very dense.

Does geotechnical assessment help prevent settlement issues in buildings?

You should get an assessment done to determine if the ground is strong enough to carry the load of a new construction. With the help of the assessment you can know if most of the soil is made up of sand, clay, or granules. Depending on the type of soil, you will need specific construction planning.

If the soil is not strong enough, the construction contractor may suggest you to use concrete piles, or reinforced concrete raft to strengthen your building foundation. The stronger building foundation with the support of the piled raft foundation will protect your building from settlement.

However, after the geotechnical analysis, you will be able to decide if you need a piled or a raft foundation. Otherwise, you can only use some aggregates to increase the strength of the soil of that area.

Long term benefits of Geotechnical Assessment

If you think that geotechnical assessment will be costly before the construction, you are not thinking about the long term benefits. Without the assessment, your building will be at the risk of developing settlement issues. Then comes the repairing and reworking cost. So, it's better to invest in the geotechnical assessment and build a flawless building, than later investing in the repair work.

You will also be able to construct the building by following construction Code of compliance in the UK. So, no need to worry about violating building safety compliance in the UK.

Additional Tips for Site Owners

If you are already planning for constructing a building on your land, don't even think of skipping the geotechnical assessment. Even if you are doing a small project, complete the assessment and then go for a construction work.

The best thing would be to engage assessment specialist from the beginning of the construction. He will be able to assess the ground condition and advice you on the building design. Depending on the strength of the site, you can design your building appropriately. For example, how tall the building should be to be on the safer side, or, which area of the site should be reinforced after adding aggregates in the site.

Final Recap

Geotechnical assessment is not a luxury, rather it is a necessary before construction of a building. The assessment will tell you how strong the site is before you begin the construction. Depending on the type of soil and its strength, you will have to use piled raft foundation to strengthen the building foundation.

Get in Touch with Us

As geotechnical assessment is essential before construction of a new building, contact us as soon as possible. We offer geotechnical assessment and also piled raft construction service. So, we will use the geotechnical assessment findings into the construction of the foundation.