We’ve completed the piled foundations for five new-build houses in Stoke-On-Trent for property development firm Drayton Beaumont. After a ground survey, the area was deemed to be potentially susceptible to peat due to the boggy nature of the surrounding strata. Peat is characterised by its very high moisture content, high compressibility and very low shear strength. Consequently, building on peat entails a huge amount of uncertainty, and can potentially lead to dangerous subsidence; which is where the ground beneath a property sinks, pulling the property’s foundations down with it.
The Problem
The Solution
Having been recommended Rhino Piling through his Quantity Surveyor, Drayton Beaumont’s Managing Director Stephen Beaumont decided to get in touch and was impressed with our expertise, availability and proposed timescale. As a result, we were booked for the project and started piling on 8th March, just 10 working days after Stephen’s initial enquiry.
We installed 20 168mm piles, 43m of prefabricated steel ring beam and void former, and ten cubic metres of concrete for each of the five plots. Void Former is used to separate concrete from unstable soils, such as peat, that can exert significant pressure on structural foundations.
The Building Control Officer passed the first plot eight days later, confidently remarking: “Now that’s how it’s done”, and we were off to the races on the next four.
The Outcome
By mid-April, we completed the final plot, and with our piling system protecting each new house from peat, Stephen (and future residents) can rest assured the houses are perfectly safe and stable, no matter how unstable the property market is. Stephen has also told us how impressed he was with our team’s work and the lack of hassle/issues.
Tel: 0161 706 0365
Email: enquiries@rhinopiling.co.uk
