Before a building can be constructed, the piling and groundwork company is called on the scene in order to create a solid foundation. You may have seen large buildings standing tall and firmly rooted in the ground. The soil itself is not capable of withstanding the sheer weight of the building, which is why a solid foundation must be created beforehand. The foundation of any building ensures that the building stands firm and won’t begin to sink in the ground.
If the foundation gets damaged, the building will start to sink into the ground. For a larger building, this could prove to be incredibly damaging. Piling isn’t a new technique in this day and age. In fact, piling work has been conducted for larger buildings for many decades now. It has been used to support unusually heavy weights on large buildings. Today, piling work is done on all kinds of buildings, ranging from off-shore farms to domestic orangeries and conservatories.
What Is Piling Work?
Commercial piling services are usually offered by a number of companies throughout the country. When a contractor takes on any project for constructing a new building, they usually contact a piling services provider first. After evaluating the length, height, and the average weight of the building, the piling company will then determine the depth of the foundation to be created.
In simple terms, piling is a kind of a deep foundation that is used for transferring loads to a much deeper level. This is different from conventional shallow foundations. In order to conduct piling work and support the weight of the building, vertical columns made of steel, concrete, or sometimes wood, are drilled deep into the surface of the earth. This helps give additional support to the building resting on top. In the past, piles were mostly made out of timber. However, timber does not hold a candle to the durability of concrete, which is why most columns are now made out of concrete. Sometimes, the columns might even be cased in steel. The positioning of the columns is made at regular intervals to ensure that there’s an adequate gap between every column.
When Is Piling Work Required?
A standard foundation is the suitable choice when the ground is viable and the amount of weight that must be supported by the building is moderate. However, the ground may become unstable due to a variety of reasons, which may indicate the need for piling work. For instance, if the water table is high, the ground may become unstable and the foundation might start to sink. Or, if the soil is soft and can be affected by water, piling work might become necessary. Similarly, piling work might also be needed if the existing foundation trenches become unsuitable, or if the ground becomes unstable at a depth lower than two metres. Ideally, before construction work begins on any building, the piling contractor must be called on the scene to check the soil and determine whether any additional support is needed for the structure being built.
