Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) can be a nightmare when you want to extend your home or build in a specific area. You don’t just have to work around the body of the tree, but take precautions to protect the roots. And given the nature of tree roots and how far they spread beneath the ground, that […]
Timber framed houses are enduringly popular. Construction is faster. The build isn’t weather reliant. And there is no need for a drying out period. But the ultimate success of the build depends on the foundation type. In areas where there is high moisture retention, timber frames have a tendency to rot, if not properly treated […]
One of the questions we’re most frequently asked is whether screw piles are suitable for house extensions. And it can be a difficult question to answer. Because house extensions come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and there can never be a single catch-all solution. But with the right ground conditions, screw piles can […]
Flooding is becoming a growing problem for the UK. With the increase of extreme weather events combined with the erosion of the floodplain, it’s predicted that 130,000 hectares of British land will be regularly flooded by 2080. And for the building industry, this presents real problems. While they have a duty of care to ensure […]
If you’re looking to cut costs on a home construction project, DIY is usually the way to go. From excavating to plastering, there are almost endless things you can do yourself to reduce costs. You just need to take a little time to find out best practice. But one area people are often unsure of […]
If you work in construction, you’ll probably be familiar with a range of foundation methods. Individual footing or isolated footing, strip foundation, deep foundation, raft or mat foundation, drilled shafts, and piled foundations. They’ve all got uses in different conditions and projects. But there are some scenarios that call for a combined approach. Where a […]
One of the most useful applications of screw piles is when you need to build on unstable soil. Without them, creating strong footings can be almost impossible. Making any subsequent structures fundamentally unsound. But while screw piles can help to provide the necessary support you need to build on soft ground, they do need to […]
When you think of building with screw pile foundations, they’re usually as an alternative to concrete. But what if you’re working with a reinforced concrete raft, in an area with very little space? Somewhere that abuts another building. Or where conditions – such as a high water table or sedimentary soil – dictate that deep […]
Screw piles are one of the most versatile foundation options available and can be used for a whole range of projects. From sheds and garden rooms to piers. But although they’ve been in use since 1833, it’s only in relatively recent years that their use has been adopted outside of large-scale construction. And it’s not […]
Both ring beams and screw piles are commonly used methods in construction. But can they be used together? The simple answer is; if the conditions are right, yes. A simple reason that their use together is seemingly not common is because many groundwork professionals have not used them together either because they’ve not known they […]