The site of the build is on the corner of a busy junction through the heart of the village, and both roads are in constant use by very large, heavy farming machinery.

The biggest challenge during construction was the likelihood of excavating a 3.5m hole next to an unsupported road. This is very dangerous as with the amount of heavy traffic the road sees, it would slip into the excavation.

Site leveled prior to buildSite leveled prior to works startingBuilding site next to busy road junctionConcrete piles drilled and cast to hold busy junction backSite next to busy roadHeads of concrete piles linked with all with a ground beamGround beam linking all concrete pilesExcavation next to concrete pilesBasement excavated next to main roadPermanent land drain installed and linked to external sump dewatering siteWorking space createdBase of excavation concreted to give work areaBanks of excavation lined to prevent collapseReinforcing for walls and baseBasement slab cast in concreteConcrete pumped into basement and vibrated into placeBase ready for concreteFirst 150mm of wall built cast with the base to improve waterproofingInternal ground water sump reinforced with steel to reduce crackingLattice work of steel designed to give maximum strengthTwo layers of steel installed to give more strengthReinforcement for walls linked to the slab reinforcementBasement set out and reinforced ready for concreteConcrete reinforcing built up in layersTeam meeting prior to concrete pourWalls supported from front and rearGround beam forming the top of the wallsWalls fully supported and scaffold built for working spaceWalls fully supported prior to concrete pourBasement walls constructed in two halvesBasement walls built using temporary timber shuttersTemporary wall construction not affected by bad weather and low temperatureWalls supported with props and straps to prevent any movementTimber shutters stripped off walls after concrete has curedGround beam becomes part of the house foundationsCementitious slurry applied externallyExternal sump permanently dewatering the siteInternal stair caseBasement cinema roomWine cellarBasement cinemaGames roomBasement that includes cinema, games room and wine cellarExternal sump next to corner of the new houseLarge house above basementCompleted house next to busy road

Build Method

The first part of the project was levelling the ground and then bringing in large plant to drill, reinforce and cast concrete 6m deep contiguous piling along the side of the road to ensure it had support. Once the piles were cast, they were joined by a “pile cap beam” which consists of reinforcing and concrete that joins the heads of all piles.

Once complete the excavation could be dug to formation level and the main concrete slab could be cast.

The basement walls were then created using temporary timber shuttering and mass filled reinforced concrete, separated and built in two halves.

Waterpfoofing Method

Waterproofing for the project was comprised of two systems to comply with 3rd party warranty requirements.

  1. External drainage channels linked to permanent external sump & pumping station to reduce external water pressure
  2. Internal cavity drainage membrane, linked to a sump & pumping station
Categories:
Client: Langton Homes
Location: Ashley, Market Harborough
Surface Area: 85 square meters
Completed: 2013
Architect: BRP Architects
Link: Visit project