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At DMag, we are always looking for opportunities to reuse materials, and a great option for this is often basement reuse, even on developments where the superstructure is otherwise new-build. When considering the possibility of incorporating an element of basement reuse into a project, there are many interlinked factors to consider.
Foundation reuse is intrinsically a bespoke design exercise, where the type and condition of the existing foundations can vary depending on their age, with added complexity where previous extensions have taken place, or if there are exclusion zones due to underground infrastructure, such as tunnels and sewers (e.g. Project in the City of London, see diagram).
The approach to reuse can further be understood as ‘direct’ or ‘indirect’. Direct reuse means that load paths s arrive at the piles unchanged from the existing configuration, although the magnitude of load may change, for example due to upwards building extension. In this case settlement and ground movement would need to be assessed even when capacity is sufficient, especially when adjacent to underground infrastructure. Indirectly reused foundation may have parts removed, for example pile heads, such that new loads can be transferred to the existing foundation. In some cases, existing foundation can be conveniently appropriated for temporary works soil retention (e.g. Mark Lane, see diagram).
Read more about some of our projects which have involved basement reuse:
