Pile Foundations

Tallulah-32

Hi
Any guidance would be much appreciated please. Looking at a house where builder went into liquidation before house finished. House is a shell. No completion certificate for building works. If purchased house we'd be looking at working towards getting completion certificate.

House has pile foundations which we aren't concerned about but this type of foundation is difficult to retrospectively survey. We're looking for the 'pile log' but need to get in contact with the builder to find out who carried out the pile foundations. Council said if we submit pile log and all fine then they'll tick foundations off. A lot has changed since house built in 2008.

We're going to contact all companies which carry out pile foundations in Northern Ireland to see if they built our house - long shot.

However someone told us that all tests on pile foundations are sent to test centres therefore an easier way of finding out if pile foundations passed test is to contact test centre who should still have results. Anyone know if this is correct please?

Thanks any guidance would be much appreciated.

richardw

I think it's one of those things where you just make a start phoning round and finding out where it takes you.

propertyman

It falls under Part A of the Building Regs. Depending on the type of pile, the builder and his engineers and contractors will retain records to pass to the council of the soil condition profiles and strata and the design to address that,load calculations and tests for load, and the record of installation.

It's not a simple log book but a collection of information and site history.

You are right in that the contractor who did the work is the person to start with, otherwise you are into a lot of money doing retrospective tests.

Start with the original planing application as it might have a designers' or architect's name. They in turn may know who the contractors were, not just the builder/developer.

GDB2222

I have seen piled foundations for blocks of flats and large mansions. Is this normal for an ordinary house? Does it imply something seriously wrong with the site?

richardw

GDB2222 wrote: »

I have seen piled foundations for blocks of flats and large mansions. Is this normal for an ordinary house? Does it imply something seriously wrong with the site?

No, it doesn't imply something seriously wrong with the site.

propertyman

It is not necessarily "problems with the site" but the soil might not take loads because of what it is, it has been made or or relaid to form the building site. That can be because it is or was sloped, or built on a old land fill or coal mine.

Ask the local authority, check the geological maps, or have a soil test.

Annisele

You could also try knocking on all the neighbour's doors; slim chance they might know (or know who does).

DannyboyMidlands

I would try to find the planning (or building regs) application online. That might give you the architect who could give you the structural engineer who could give you the piling contractor................

GDB2222

propertyman wrote: »

It is not necessarily "problems with the site" but the soil might not take loads because of what it is, it has been made or or relaid to form the building site. That can be because it is or was sloped, or built on a old land fill or coal mine.

Ask the local authority, check the geological maps, or have a soil test.

I guess it comes down to what you regard as "problems with the site". I would probably not want to buy a house on an old land fill site. After all, I would imagine that these would continue to pack down over a period of decades. Similarly with the coal mine. It certainly looks as though the OP would be well advised to check the reason why piling was necessary in the 1st place.

Freecall

Piling is often used these days as it can often simply be cost effective.

I does not follow that there is anything wrong at all.

propertyman

GDB2222 wrote: »

I guess it comes down to what you regard as "problems with the site". I would probably not want to buy a house on an old land fill site. After all, I would imagine that these would continue to pack down over a period of decades. Similarly with the coal mine. It certainly looks as though the OP would be well advised to check the reason why piling was necessary in the 1st place.

That there are certain risks is undoubted, however such sites are often sold and developed for houses, if the site is prepared.

Old landfill sites have the advantage of being very good for certain plants and drilling down lets you extract methane to supplement your heating system.

Old coal mines do with a bit of careful digging can increase the value of the home with extensive storage and cellar age, plus old bits of free coal which you can burn in a fire or BBQ in summer.