Three Reasons Why You Would Use Foundation Underpinning On A Factory Built Over Water
by Katrina Evans
Most industrial and manufacturing plants are built on dry land. However, there are several paper-making companies and hydro-powered factories that build their factories over water. This gives them direct access to the water they need for the pulp vats or for electricity. Unfortunately, it also means that water erosion is a very big and very realistic problem for these factories. If the foundation of your factory in the water is cracking or leaking badly, you may need some foundation underpinning. The process is slightly different than on dry land, but here are three reasons why you would need to use foundation underpinning techniques in the first place.
Factories Built Over Water Are Made of Very Heavy Materials
Undoubtedly, when you look at your own factory as it sits on a major waterway, you will probably notice that it is all concrete, brick and mortar. When the factory is also more than two stories high, it is a very dense, heavy structure. It only takes a good fracture along a foundation floor or wall before the weight of your factory pushes downward and causes the building to topple into the lake or river on which it sits. You probably also have a structural engineer inspect the factory a couple times each year to make sure it is still sound. When it is no longer sound, you need the underpinning from a contractor in a hurry or you could be looking at millions of dollars in water damage and construction.
The Building Faces More Than Water Erosion
While water erosion is a major problem for factories built over the water, the buildings have more serious issues to face than just water. This is especially true if your factory sits in an area that freezes over in winter. Now your building has to contend not only with water erosion, but also with expanding ice and freezing temperatures which can cause small cracks in the foundation of your factory to expand into giant and very dangerous cracks. Underpinning helps prevent some of these issues and protect the factory's foundation for a little while longer.
Underpinning Helps Push Most of the Factory above the Water Line
Rivers and lakes have a tendency to swell and fall. With the correct underpinning technique (e.g., pile and beam or screw piles and brackets), your factory is pushed above the water line when the water is low and just at or slightly above the water line when the water swells. This helps to slow down some of the erosion too.
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