Business as usual during 8 month underpinning contract
Client: Business property developer
We cooperated very closely with the builder, working to strict schedules so that tenants could continue their business normal.
Highgate High Street, London
This complex and major underpinning contract took place over an 8 month period. The property is a coffee shop fronting Highgate High Street with offices in the rear. Clearly, the tenant businesses had to operate normally throughout and we cooperated very closely with the builder to work to strict schedules to achieve this.
A 100 metre length of reinforced concrete retaining wall was installed to a depth of 4.5 metres beneath the existing walls to the courtyard and adjacent buildings. The retaining wall was constructed in sections to a planned sequence just like any ordinary underpinning job.
This enabled the creation of a sunken garden and a basement in the main building which is now deployed as offices and extra accommodation.
Our design was a hybrid, based on a supplied scheme and our suggested amendments which were accepted by our client.
The ground conditions were sand, not clay, demanding more complex shoring to the excavations for stability and safety. The work was carried out in planned sequences to allow tenants access to their businesses.
