Soletanche Bachy, world leader in foundations and soil technologies
Follow us
LinkedInYouTube
Choose your language
Underpinning2023-11-09T10:13:46+01:00

Project Description

Long-term preservation of existing structures

For more than 60 years, Soletanche Bachy has been carrying out underpinning work to preserve our historical heritage.

What is underpinning?

A technique for modifying, reinforcing, replacing or deepening foundations beneath an existing structure.

Underpinning a building’s foundations involves carrying out work with the aim of a partial or total transfer of foundation loads in order to ensure the long-term preservation of a building which has been destabilised by damage either to its foundations or the ground on which it sits, or in order to renovate, extend, deepen or elevate the building, involving a change to the loads to be borne.

In this section:

What is underpinning?

What are the advantages of this technique?

Implementation

Why working with Soletanche Bachy?

Execution controls and monitoring

What are the advantages of this technique?

Preserving and/or modernising existing structures

Diversity of processes and materials used, adapting to existing structures and specific site conditions

Extending the life of existing structures, thus avoiding the consumption of materials for the construction of new buildings

The environmental benefits

  • Steel-free diaphragm wall 
  • Hydrofraise®equipped with an electric power pack
  • Reusing soil-cement spoil of the jet grouting process
  • Almost total absence of spoil of several processes 

Whatever the field of application, Soletanche Bachy is able to select the process or processes best suited to your project while optimising the resources used and minimising the environmental impact of the underpinning to be carried out.

Implementation

Depending on each project’s specific requirements, a wide variety of processes from the Soletanche Bachy range can be used for underpinning work.

For foundations: Soletanche Bachy offers you its expertise for the renovation of your structure.

For retaining structures: Our unique portfolio of dedicated solutions means that Soletanche Bachy can provide you with its expertise you are meeting severe constraints in relation to party walls (vibrations, noise, settlement, etc.), deep basements or the presence of a water table:

For reinforcement: Soletanche Bachy allows you to build new structures while preserving nearby constructions, as well as to consolidate your existing structures.

Why working with Soletanche Bachy?

Expertise in a wide range of processes and their application to underpinning

Expertise in a wide range of processes and their application to underpinning

Method experts for each technique to facilitate your project

Method experts for each technique to facilitate your project

Large fleet of drill rigs available for construction sites, some of which are electric, allowing the reduction of noise pollution, work in confined spaces, etc.

Large fleet of drill rigs available for construction sites, some of which are electric, allowing the reduction of noise pollution, work in confined spaces, etc.

Equipment design office capable of designing and building machines tailored to your worksite’s specific constraints

 

Equipment design office capable of designing and building machines tailored to your worksite’s specific constraints

A wide range of processes and equipment enabling us to better respond to the environmental challenges of your project: reduction of excavation, reduction of CO2 emissions, reduction of materials, use of low-carbon concrete

A wide range of processes and equipment enabling us to better respond to the environmental challenges of your project: reduction of excavation, reduction of CO2 emissions, reduction of materials, use of low-carbon concrete

 

Execution controls and monitoring

In addition to controls and monitoring relating to each of the techniques used, a specific system is put in place for monitoring and compensating the movements of the structure to be underpinned according to its sensitivity.

Find out about the control and monitoring techniques used for each of the techniques:

Did you know?

Soletanche Bachy has carried out numerous underpinning projects around the world. Find out about the most impressive sites, including numerous historical monuments, on which we have worked.

Underpinning of the Grand Palais, built in 1900 and classified as a Historic Monument, by installing a retaining wall for a subsequent underground structure in the main nave, following significant settlement. Diaphragm wall, barrettes, jet grouting, grouting and micropiles were just some of the techniques used.

Construction of a conference centre which will be housed around and beneath the Jacobin Convent in Rennes, which dates from the 14th century and is listed as a Historic Monument. To the west, this centre includes a 1000-seat auditorium with a building extending from the convent, as well as around 20 rooms in the space obtained below. To the north, a 600-space car park is being created. The monument’s architecture will be fully preserved. The convent was temporarily suspended on piles and micropiles while the various basement levels were created.

As part of the project to extend the Department of Islamic Arts, the Louvre Museum’s exhibition area will be expanded around the Cour Visconti and the Galerie Daru.

Jet grouting is the preferred method for this for many reasons, including the completion of safe and rapid underpinning work, in line with the settlement constraints imposed by the owner. The use of very compact equipment, an absolute must for this project. Finally, combined with the grouting of a tab into the limestone, it is the gentlest method for creating a water-tight enclosure in compliance with the acoustic and especially vibratory constraints imposed in order to preserve the buildings. In total, the project included: 400 columns, 200 boreholes for the grouting curtain, 32 micropiles underpinning posts in the Daru post, 3700 sq. m of shotcrete, 1000 anchors, nails and retaining wall barrettes, as well as 100 micropiles to bear the uplift pressure produced.

The station beneath the CNIT is being constructed below the CNIT’s lowest existing parking level. In order to carry out the earthworks and support the main structure of the vast future station, 2000 micropiles were provisionally installed to underpin the foundations of the CNIT car park, while the posts for the future station were constructed, along with 175 anchors and 660 steel and fibreglass nails during the earthworks. During the earthworks, 1000 jacks held up the existing structure within the calculated displacement range.

In December 2010, a fire destroyed the Provo Temple, leaving only the brick facade and the rubble foundations. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints decided to renovate it. The project involved conservation of the building’s historic structure and, as well as the renovation, included the creation of three basement levels. The design and build work was entrusted to Nicholson, Soletanche Bachy’s North American subsidiary. A whole range of geotechnical specialties was used, including micropiles bored using the duplex and post-injected method, underpinning beams, jet grouting, drawdown via deep shafts, Berlin type-wall made with an ABI vibrator, wooden shielding and self-boring anchors.

Underpinning work on the Bolshoi Theatre, with the creation of a large underground area. Construction of a diaphragm wall and barrettes (inside and outside the theatre).

The 105-year-old dam on the Wisconsin River has seen a significant decrease in downstream water since its creation, exposing the original wooden structure to severe deterioration and making it vulnerable. Irreversible deterioration required a long-term support solution to be designed, particularly including the installation of micropiles bored through the dam. Nicholson was appointed to carry out the consolidation/underpinning work, after successfully concluding the design phase and completing a rigorous testing programme. The work included the installation of nearly 1,000 micropiles, 250 threaded anchor rods, excavation of 1,165 sq. m in a gallery and the construction of a 425m transfer beam from concrete.

Our projects

 

Cusset Dyke, France

,

Construction of Hong Kong International Airport’s third runway, China

, ,

Lee Tunnel, United Kingdom

, ,

Muelle C+D, port of Montevideo, Uruguay

,

M’Bopicua – logistics port terminal, Fray Bentos, Uruguay

LOTOS refinery, Poland

, ,

LNG terminal in Dunkirk, France

Second World War Museum, Poland

Palm Jebel Ali – phase 1, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

, ,

Jenner stormwater tank, France

Construction d'un bassin de stockage des pluies en paroi moulée
,

Wanapum dam, Washington, United States

,

Underground car park Place d’Arvieux, Marseille, France

, ,

Orchard station and associated tunnels, Singapore

,

Marché Neuf car park, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France

,

Safina dry dock – hydrolift, Dubai, United Arabs Emirates

,

Central – Wan Chai Bypass tunnel, Hong Kong

Bridge over the Wouri river, Cameroon

,

BBVA Bancomer tower, Mexico City, Mexico

,

Wolf Creek Dam, Kentucky, USA

,

Express Rail Link (XRL), Hong Kong

,

West-East tramway line, Nice, France

The Grand Palais, France

Al Raha Beach, Arab United Emirates

Nile City, Egypt

,

Bernardines College, France

,

Candelaria mine, Chile

,

Port of Aguadulce, Buenaventura, Colombia

Port d’Aguadulce, terminaux SPIA et Boscoal Buenaventura, Colombie vue aerienne

Privacy settings

Decide which cookies you want to allow.

You can change these settings at any time. However, this can result in some functions no longer being available. For information on deleting the cookies, please consult your browser’s help function.

Learn more about the cookies we use.

With the slider, you can enable or disable different types of cookies:

This website will

This website won't

This website will

  • Essential: Remember your cookie permission setting
  • Essential: Allow session cookies
  • Essential: Gather information you input into a contact forms newsletter and other forms across all pages
  • Essential: Keep track of what you input in a shopping cart
  • Essential: Authenticate that you are logged into your user account
  • Essential: Remember language version you selected

This website won't

  • Remember your login details
  • Functionality: Remember social media settings
  • Functionality: Remember selected region and country
  • Analytics: Keep track of your visited pages and interaction taken
  • Analytics: Keep track about your location and region based on your IP number
  • Analytics: Keep track of the time spent on each page
  • Analytics: Increase the data quality of the statistics functions
  • Advertising: Tailor information and advertising to your interests based on e.g. the content you have visited before. (Currently we do not use targeting or targeting cookies)
  • Advertising: Gather personally identifiable information such as name and location

This website will

  • Essential: Remember your cookie permission setting
  • Essential: Allow session cookies
  • Essential: Gather information you input into a contact forms newsletter and other forms across all pages
  • Essential: Keep track of what you input in a shopping cart
  • Essential: Authenticate that you are logged into your user account
  • Essential: Remember language version you selected
  • Functionality: Remember social media settings
  • Functionality: Remember selected region and country

This website won't

  • Analytics: Keep track of your visited pages and interaction taken
  • Analytics: Keep track about your location and region based on your IP number
  • Analytics: Keep track of the time spent on each page
  • Analytics: Increase the data quality of the statistics functions
  • Advertising: Tailor information and advertising to your interests based on e.g. the content you have visited before. (Currently we do not use targeting or targeting cookies)
  • Advertising: Gather personally identifiable information such as name and location

This website will

  • Essential: Remember your cookie permission setting
  • Essential: Allow session cookies
  • Essential: Gather information you input into a contact forms newsletter and other forms across all pages
  • Essential: Keep track of what you input in a shopping cart
  • Essential: Authenticate that you are logged into your user account
  • Essential: Remember language version you selected
  • Functionality: Remember social media settings
  • Functionality: Remember selected region and country
  • Analytics: Keep track of your visited pages and interaction taken
  • Analytics: Keep track about your location and region based on your IP number
  • Analytics: Keep track of the time spent on each page
  • Analytics: Increase the data quality of the statistics functions

This website won't

  • Advertising: Tailor information and advertising to your interests based on e.g. the content you have visited before. (Currently we do not use targeting or targeting cookies)
  • Advertising: Gather personally identifiable information such as name and location

This website will

  • Functionality: Remember social media settings
  • Functionality: Remember selected region and country
  • Analytics: Keep track of your visited pages and interaction taken
  • Analytics: Keep track about your location and region based on your IP number
  • Analytics: Keep track of the time spent on each page
  • Analytics: Increase the data quality of the statistics functions
  • Advertising: Tailor information and advertising to your interests based on e.g. the content you have visited before. (Currently we do not use targeting or targeting cookies)
  • Advertising: Gather personally identifiable information such as name and location

This website won't

  • Remember your login details
Save & Close
Go to Top