BRE EP73 PDF

INTRODUCTION

Foundation reuse is increasingly being considered in urban areas due to:

• Congestion of the ground from utilities, tunnels, archaeology and previous foundations restricting locations of new foundations. Foundation reuse can be an enabler for sites where current congestion restricts new foundations to such an extent that their installation is extremely difficult or exceptionally costly.

• Sustainability benefits from the reduction in foundation construction and the resulting reduction in energy requirements for construction materials and processes.

• Potential savings in construction cost and programme duration. For redevelopment projects, construction programme can often be as important if not more so than construction cost. Early completion of the redeveloped building will result in earlier occupation and hence generation of income from rent which in turn will lead to earlier repayment of any monies borrowed for the redevelopment process.

This paper demonstrates an approach to the assessment of risks and opportunities which can be used in the decision process when considering foundation reuse for a redevelopment scheme.