The failure of foundations leads to distortion of building superstructure and loss of structural integrity. If allowed to continue unchecked, the building may become unusable and may need to be demolished. The most successful and cost-effective solution is usually to underpin the structure to restore full or partial serviceability. Planning an underpinning scheme requires careful investigation of ground conditions and structural defects in order to determine the precise cause of movement. With the modern trend towards deep excavations (particularly in urban areas) there is now commonly a requirement for the design and installation of a retention system to complement the underpinning scheme. This new book provides a comprehensive insight into underpinning and retention, starting with simple methods of excavation and underpinning, and then discussing the various underpinning methods that specialist firms have developed to provide support to a wide range of civil engineering structures. The inclusion of a number of case studies provides an insight into typical difficulties encountered and the safe and practical solutions which have been employed.

The failure of foundations leads to distortion of building superstructures and a loss of structural integrity. If allowed to continue unchecked, this process will lead ultimately to non-serviceability and demolition. The chief and most successful remedial measure is to underpin the structure and restore full or partial structural integrity. Various underpinning methods exist, and choosing a particular method or selection of methods is the job of the engineer. Consistent with the underpinning procedure is the need to retain the affected structure plus the surrounding ground and/or buildings.