Sensitivity: General Remediation approach for a distressed urban building based on foundation reuse and augmentation

ABSTRACT: The rate of redevelopment within urban areas continues to rise across the world. These redevelopments can be constrained by the interaction between existing infrastructure and the proposed new developments, particularly if the new developments are designed to extend below the level of nearby foundations. Consequently, attention needs to be afforded during design to the sequencing and final execution of the works. These challenges can be further compounded by geotechnical and geological imperfections, including unfavourable ground and groundwater conditions, as well as defects in the existing foundation system. This paper details the causes of distress being experienced by the foundation of a medium rise residential building in Australia and the subsequent development of a proposal for the remediation of the building based on consideration of the various site constraints. The existing building foundation system consisted of a reinforced concrete raft slab. A remedial proposal has been developed based on the re-use of the existing raft foundation system in conjunction with the addition of mini piles, to enhance the foundation function and performance.