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Groundwork & Foundations

Dodgy foundations, or a complete lack of them!

Anonymous user 23/02/2024 - 3.11 PM

Our garage is attached to the house with a single-skin wall with piers to the exterior. We were hoping to build above, by reinforcing the foundations and using steel to take the extra weight of the new storey. This has all been applied for and approved but upon digging down through the garage floor to inspect the foundations we were suprised to find that there are none! The garage seems to have been built on just the steel reinforced concrete slab, but looking back on my local councils planning portal, whoever built the garage did apply for planning permission in 1974 and it was granted. Anyway it looks like we'll have to flatten the existing and start afresh but my question is this; Is this how garages used to be built? Was it acceptable just to build up on the slab if there was no plan to extend above? And Shouldn't an inspector have come out at some point to make sure everything was being done to regs?..... Anyway it looks like we'll have to flatten the existing and start afresh!

Are you a tradesperson and able to answer this question?

2 Answers

Creative Construction and Design (CCD )

Rating: 4.7 out of 5

Norwich

Hi Yes I agree the site has to be cleared and new foundation have to be applied for the foundations on any project are the main thing,you may find you will need advice from a structural engineer as This involves attachment to the property,which I would not advise,and also digging out so close to the property to install foundation is what I would call a no no Regards Chris

Answered23 August 2017

Anonymous user

Hi Joey, What you may have is a Raft Foundation which is a perfectly acceptable method of constructing foundations. The reinforcement and steel re-bar spread the loads from the construction above. Unfortunately the design will only have taken account of what was the intended purpose was at that time. I would suggest that you also look at your house foundations as a raft usually suggest poor ground conditions for trench footings and you may need to remove the existing raft and replace it with another, which would require a structural engineer to design. Either way it may work out cheaper than underpinning existing trench foundations. Good luck with your project. Regards Dan Wade

Answered16 November 2018