Understanding the building movement investigation
Dealing with a building that has suffered from movement? Allow Richard Herrmann Associates Ltd to investigate the cause and advise the most suitable remedial action. Utilise the knowledge of a team that understands what it takes to overcome these scenarios.
Combining structural expertise with building diagnostics
Building movement is a concern that no property owner or manager can afford to ignore. Over time, buildings can shift or settle due to various factors, from subsidence and soil movement to poor construction practices or environmental influences. These shifts can lead to cracks, misalignments, or even structural instability, which could pose serious risks to safety and integrity. By conducting building movement investigations, Richard Herrmann Associates Ltd can help you quickly identify the root causes of movement and offer practical solutions to mitigate further risks.
Our engineers will begin by conducting a detailed site assessment, which includes visually inspecting the property for telltale signs of movement, such as leaning walls or uneven settling. However, a visual inspection is just the starting point. We also employ advanced diagnostic tools, such as laser monitoring systems, crack monitoring devices, and precise levelling equipment. These tools allow us to track even the smallest movements in a building, helping to forecast potential future risks and inform the best course of action. By employing technology, we can avoid guesswork and deliver solutions based on hard data.
Helping you rectify structural movement
Once the main cause has been identified during our initial checks, we’ll look to offer clear, actionable recommendations for remediation. This could involve strengthening foundations, improving drainage, or addressing external factors such as nearby construction impacts – understanding that the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach can leave room for error, the solution will depend on the individual structure. From here, we’ll help you make the necessary adjustments, ensuring the integrity of the building is restored with minimal disruption and that future proofing measures have been considered, to prevent reoccurring problems. Building movement is not an issue that resolves itself. It requires expert analysis and a targeted approach for the safety and longevity of the property. By partnering with Richard Herrmann Associates Ltd, you can be confident that your building is in capable hands.
Drawing on our locality to understand foundational issues
It is quite common to assume that the underlying ground is strong enough to support the proposed building or loads, however there is much more to consider than you might think, particularly when the soil is cohesive in nature. Being located in Cambridge, East Anglia, a region that has some of the most variable ground qualities in the UK, we’re well versed in dealing with different soil types. Only after determining what impact the soil type, in conjunction with any current or recently removed vegetation, can the most suitable and appropriate foundation solution be determined. This decision also needs to include consideration of buildability, health and safety, cost, timescales, site access, loads to be supported, and other factors unique to your development. That’s why Richard Herrmann Associates Ltd can prove invaluable.
37
Years Est.
6,500+
Clients
100+
Years' Experience
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What is the likely cost of your services?Each project is priced individually based on the scope of the project; one of our senior structural engineers will carry out an initial appraisal to evaluate the likely time that might be required to resolve any issues or prepare a design. Our fee is then based on an hourly rate multiplied by the anticipated time involved. As we rely on this information to advise on costing, the more information you can provide at an early stage, the better.
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What is the expected timescale of a project?Each project varies based on the extent of works required, but typically a lead-in period of 1-3 weeks is needed before we can conduct a visit or commence with design. That said, we can prioritise more urgent projects. We can then produce design details and/or reports, usually within the following days or weeks.
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What information do I need to provide?Within our quick enquiry form we’ll ask for your contact information, the sector your project falls into, and a clear and brief explanation of the scope of your works, outlining the service/s you would like us to provide. Any useful drawings to better illustrate your project or problem are beneficial towards helping us understand what needs to be carried out.
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Will a Chartered Engineer be involved in my project?Yes, every project is either directly dealt with, or overseen by, one of our Chartered Structural Engineers. This allows us to ensure consistent quality standards for every client.
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Do you have experience in my particular project?Having been around since 1987, we’re proud to hold a vast level of knowledge and experiences from all areas of civil and structural engineering. It’s very likely that we have dealt with something similar before and can bring our expertise to your project.
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What payment method do you accept?We accept bank transfers.
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Do you inspect on properties to buy?Typically, a thorough investigation into the structural stability of a property is limited when dealing with a building that you do not yet own. Until you have purchased the property, we are unable to utilise many of the techniques that allow us to identify the potential cause of an issue, such as monitoring cracking movement over a period of time or carrying out intrusive inspections to understand the structure of the property. If the highlighted issue is something that can be commented on based on visual inspection alone then we might be able to assist, but the scope of what can be achieved ‘pre-purchase’ will be limited. This approach is often contrary to what a lender’s surveyor will suggest, since the wording within a valuation survey report will often suggest that a Structural Engineer will be able to not only determine the cause of the movement, but also advise the extent of remedial works and their costs. However, this is not feasible, and we believe in being honest and ethical with our clients.
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What is subsidence and heaving?Many people have heard the term 'subsidence' related to building movement. You might even have heard the term 'heave' too. These terms refer to the tendency for buildings to lose foundation support or to be lifted by the underlying ground, most commonly as a result of changes in the moisture content of cohesive soils like clay. These changes usually occur as a result of nearby vegetation roots extracting moisture from the soil, resulting in the soil shrinking in volume. If this volume change occurs once the building is supported by the soil, the building will subside. If the soil volume increases whilst the building is supported on the soil, as can be the case if a tree is removed or dies, this can result in the building being lifted by 'heave'.
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What happens with a soil investigation?The nature of the soil investigation can be tailored to suit the scheme, with simple 'trial pits' being carried out at one end of the scale, through to involving specialist site investigation companies at the other end of the scale. We are more than happy to provide a consultant service role to our clients to assist them in determining what approach is most suitable, and also to help them minimise the potentials risks to the project that might otherwise occur and result in significant costs and delays at construction stage.
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Why is soil type important?All clay soils have a potential for volume change however, some have a greater potential than others. This means that the recommended site investigation should include more than simply confirming the soil type, but it should also determine the soil properties to ascertain the degree of'volume change potential. This will directly inform what a suitable foundation depth would be related to any vegetation type, height and distance from the proposal.
Safeguard your investment
If you suspect a structural issue, contact Richard Herrmann Associates Ltd via email or phone, or complete our online form below to share your project details.