Newman’s were called upon by a commercial property management company who own various trading estates across London.
Many trading estates in London are still Victorian brick built structures that have stood the test of time and are still fully functional. The masonry construction of most of these structures is built using 13 inch solid masonry laid in English bond using lime mortar. This type of construction is a strong bond which will allow slight movement.
We were called out to attend site as a matter of urgency due to the crack rapidly widening and in some places was over 10mm’s wide. We carried out a structural survey free of charge the same day and designed a repair specification that would restore the structural integrity without any major disruption to the business operating in the building.
Crack Repairs, North London
We used our own mobile scaffold tower alleviating the need for traditional scaffolding enabling us to be on site just two days after the initial survey.
To repair the crack in the brickwork we installed 14 No masonry beams across the crack which was drilled back into the left and right pillars. This method of crack repair not only crack stitches but distributes the loads imposed and distributes them across the masonry preventing further cracking.
Crack Repairs, North London
The parapet wall was secured using 1.5m grout ties which were installed vertically down through the brick work which saved huge costs in a rebuild.
The repair was guaranteed against failure for 10 years. The repairs lasted only 2 days allowing the business to remain fully operational.
Lintels come in various designs and are constructed from different materials but all carry out the same task; to support a structure above them within an opening.
Lintel Failure is a common structural defect amongst properties of all ages and constructions and Newman’s regularly carry out lintel failure surveys in order to establish the extent of lintel failure and the risk it poses.
Lintel Failure London
Lintel failure can lead to the collapse of the masonry it is supporting with catastrophic effect. Lintel failure is often recognised by diagonal stepped cracking which is similar to subsidence but should not be confused as subsidence.
Lintel Failure, Diagonal Cracking
Traditional methods of lintel repair are costly and time consuming with many builders believing the only way to restore the structural integrity is to remove the lintel prop the masonry above and rebuild it.
Using modern methods of repair Newman’s can repair lintels by installing Twistfix Helical rods installed in the bed joint above the lintel creating beams above which support the masonry. With fast curing resins lintels can be propped into their original position and fixed saving the aesthetics of the property and time and money.
Subsidence is a common structural defect which puts structures in serious jeopardy and at risk of collapse.
Subsidence is common across the South East of England and in areas where the ground conditions are formed up of clay. Clay absorbs lots of moisture during wet periods causing it to swell and lift the foundation and once the ground dries it shrinks back to its original state or smaller which causes the foundation to drop.
Subsidence Repairs
There are other causes of subsidence such as vibration from machinery, road traffic, trains etc. As well as vibration other factors such as changes in the water table, failed drainage or incorrect foundation types and depths.
Newman’s are specialists in carrying out subsidence repairs using bed joint reinforcement and piling solutions in order to repair structures with minimal disruption.
