Challenge: Concrete floorslab of a two-storey residential building surrounded by landscaping has slumped into the earth from past earthquake damage, out of level by 200mm.
Case Study: A once eye-catching two-storey residential property now turned to a noticeably damaged and tired unit. This two-storey residential building had been hit hard by the Canterbury earthquakes, resulting in global settlement of over 200mm out of level.
This substantial 200mm lift was no match for the SmartLift System.
Starting the project, we removed the hard landscaping such as the cobble-stones surrounding the perimeter of the building, isolated the power, sewer, waste water and all other elements restricting access to the underlying foundations of the two-storey residential property. Once access has been obtained, we installed our underpin levelling pads – a part of our patented jacking system. This installation will also help us to box and pour the new foundation enhancement later on in the project.
Next our jacks were installed both internally and externally in preparation for the lift. We installed over 160 of these heavy duty jacks which means we are ready to lift! Cranking each jack individually allowed us to create the desired levels required. We were thrilled to walk away with a less than 10mm difference across the entire floorslab. But the job doesn’t end there, once the desired levels have been achieved, the real works begins!
We then void-filled the cavity underneath the house with lightweight insulating concrete to the underside of the floor. At this point it is critical to reinstate the damp-proofing membrane ensure the floorslab stays watertight and stops rising damp. This is commonly overlooked by many other repair companies and could destroy your home if not installed properly.
SmartLift pays particular attention to protecting and preserving your floor slab by using a three step system solution:
Step 1: We only use waterproof void-fill
Step 2: We always ensure we mulseal the core hole
Step 3: At last we reinstate the DMP (damp-proofing membrane) on top of the mulseal.
Once the concrete has been poured, the foundation and floor cracks are ground out and epoxied by our epoxy accredited applicators. Following this, SmartLift then structurally reinstated the floorslab using 25mpa concrete to match original the specifications of the two-story residential building, providing a healthier, warmer home for years to come!
After the job has been successfully completed, the homeowners receive all the documentation they need to have autonomy over their home again.
Another great job completed by the specialist team at SmartLift.