Land subsidence: how to intervene –

Differential land settlements

Even in recently constructed buildings, they may appear die crepes and on the floors, mainly due to a differential settlement vertical of the ground beneath the foundations.

Differential settlements can occur for various natural and anthropogenic causes. In particular, when the foundations, often superficial, are supported on predominantly clayey soils, it happens especially in periods of drought due to low atmospheric precipitation followed by conditions of strong heat, which can be subject to shrinkage and therefore to ground settlements which in turn cause instability in the foundations.

This happens because the land It is a medium composed of one part solida liquid and one fizzy.

Cracks in walls due to subsidence in foundations

The liquid phase is often predominant and in cohesive soils, such as clays, it promotes swelling effects during rainy periods and drying during periods of drought. Other lithologies tend to dissolve in water, initially promoting fractures and then cavities, with inevitable subsidence more or less important to the structures.

There are several symptoms of collapse of the ground that absolutely must not be overlooked: in addition to the presence of lesions on the walls, depressions and bulges in the floors, difficulties in opening and closing windows and doors, cracks in the floors must be taken into due consideration.

To solve the problem once and for all, it is necessary intervene in the ground foundation with solutions capable of identifying the cause, acting in a targeted manner exactly where needed and leading the ground to conditions of adequate stability and robustness.

Among the intervention methodologies present on the market for consolidate a groundsome rely on injections of expanding resins which contribute to improving the characteristics of the soil.

Foundation subsidence: what are the ground conditions that favor the appearance of cracks in walls?

The condition of the building land is also one of the possible causes of foundation failure and therefore the formation of cracks in the walls. A building may have been constructed on a site that has different types of soil.

These may have different characteristics, or respond differently to climatic conditions. In this case, the soil, in the layers closest to the surface, may also undergo a significant change in its geotechnical characteristics. Long periods of drought, for example, modify the circulation and water content in the subsoil, causing the dryness of the most superficial layers of soil.

Soil monitoring during injection

L’settlement of the ground causes the house to change its original layout and consequently its balance; the foundations give way to the underlying ground, causing in some cases the appearance of cracks in the walls. But also the urbanization and development of built-up areas can change the balance of the foundation ground. The ground on which the buildings are built is affected by the presence of pipes from homes, offices and commercial or industrial activities.

These pipes can generate fluid leaks; if water leaks out in large quantities it could alter the consistency of the ground and cause subsidence. Another factor to consider is the active excavation activities in the vicinity of the building. Lastly, the roots of tall trees near the foundations of the house should not be overlooked; these too can alter the foundation-ground balance by modifying the compactness of the ground and therefore triggering vertical differential settlements.

Foundation Consolidation Techniques: The Solution to Cracks in Walls

To solve the problem of cracks in the walls, it is not advisable to rely on do-it-yourself interventions, such as simple plastering of cracked walls; these could only provide a temporary solution and overlook the real danger that hides behind a crack in the wall.

Geosec consolidation of land and foundations

To identify the causes that led to the formation of cracks in the walls of your home, a professional technical assessment is necessary.

Consolidate a land: here’s how with Geosec

Geosec Srloperating for almost 15 years in the stabilization and Consolidation of foundations and in the land consolidationhas developed innovative solutions to ensure long-lasting stability to buildings affected by ground subsidence and can offer maximum assistance to your trusted technician for the analysis of the problem and the search for the most suitable solution that meets your expectations.

Consolidation of foundations with injections of expanding resins

Geosec Srlexclusively offers a patented technology for the ground consolidation con expanding resin injections which allows to solve the subsidence of the foundations. The procedure, fast and absolutely non-invasive, is precise thanks to the integrated geophysical systems of “4D LIVE” control of the ground that allow to see what happens in the ground around and under the building before, during and at the end of the intervention.

Injections of expanding resins to consolidate

To ensure maximum effectiveness of the intervention, Geosec professionals carry out the Consolidation interventions always under constant geognostic control of the ground, both in the subsidence areas and in the more stable areas beneath the same building.

In this way, Geosec professionals are immediately able to verify the correct consolidation of the foundation soil, making, if necessary, all the corrective actions necessary for the best stabilization of the subsidence compared to the more stable ones taken as reference during the treatment.

Geosec: three-dimensional control of the terrain

3D images reconstructed thanks to powerful geophysical surveys carried out around and under the house allow to collect useful information from the subsided and more stable lands. Voids, presence of water, underground anomalies are just some of the precious information that can be detected with the diagnostic systems of the Geosec method.

During the injections, however, the diagnostic control of the ground allows to verify what happens in the ground thanks to the consolidating action of the resin. It is an eco-friendly geopolymer produced exclusively for Geosec with high mechanical resistance, adequate expanding force, perfectly stable over time, which does not further weigh down the ground and above all contrasts with the ERT4D survey.

Geosec: three-dimensional control of the ground after resin injections

The expanding resin injections can generally be carried out up to a depth of 15 meters, even on multiple levels, to effectively consolidate the foundation soil. For further special cases our technical services are at your complete disposal.

Geosec Expanding Resin Injections

GEOSEC has been successfully operating for over 15 years, to date there are thousands of satisfied customers every year and each of our interventions is guaranteed for at least 10 years.

The company operates throughout the country with teams distributed throughout the country and two strategic logistics offices serving Northern and Southern Italy.

GEOSEC solutions are well suited to solve:

• foundation subsidence;
• pavement subsidence (civil, industrial, airport, road);
• seismic improvement of foundations;
• mitigation of the risk of soil liquefaction;
• cavity filling.

GEOSEC has become the technological leader in the sector and the reference brand in soil consolidation with resin injections thanks to its unique solutions, patented and certified by prestigious control and inspection bodies in the construction sector.
With GEOSEC you make the choice of guarantee for the safety and stability of your home.

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THE EDITORIAL TEAM RECOMMENDS

The company is able to provide, upon request, a proposal for intervention, with the relevant guarantees of the case. Deciding to rely on the competence of GEOSEC means having the possibility to evaluate, together with a team of experts, the best operating methods and therefore the less invasiveas a guarantee of the best result.