Oh, Melbourne! Melbourne is a city as famous for its coffee culture and as for its crumbling buildings that are on the verge of needing some TLC. By TLC I’m referring to the underpinning concrete. It’s that Google search you didn’t think you would need until you started to notice your home shimmy shaking every time you saw a car.
What’s all the fuss about underpinning in Melbourne, you ask? It’s like buying a pair of new boots for your home so that it will be able to withstand whatever Mother Nature throws its way (or the weight of a heavy sofa). Melbourne’s ground is unpredictable, just like a twist of a soap opera. The ground beneath Melbourne is as unpredictable as a soap opera plot twist.
Underpinning? Underpinning is not as simple as putting some bricks underneath your home and calling it good. We’re not talking about just sticking some extra bricks under your house and calling it a day. Some involve pouring cement like a cake under your foundations. Some involve injecting resin into the foundations like filling in cavities.
Then there is screw piling. This sounds like exactly what it does – you screw giant metal screws in the ground, until they reach something sturdy enough to tell them, “Yep! I got you!” This method is quick and clean (almost), and ensures that your home won’t begin to lean like it was trying to tell your neighbor secrets.
Why is Melbourne so obsessed with the underpinning of its buildings? It’s all down to our forefathers who, in their optimism and lack of knowledge about soils when they built homes. Climate change is a factor, but why not? You’ll have soils more moody and erratic than teens.
Let’s also not forget those old, charming buildings which make Melbourne, well… Melbourne. These buildings are beautiful, but they sometimes need some help to stand up after so many years. You’d make sure grandma always has her walking sticks with her before going for a morning walk.
It can be harder to navigate council permits than it is to assemble IKEA without directions. Each council sets its own rules, because it would seem that agreeing to one set of regulations would be far too simple. While we are at it, spare a moment to think about our neighbors who have to endure the cacophony of noise caused by construction. Nobody enjoys early morning drilling.
In the future, we can expect some exciting advancements to be made in land foundations. Imagine tiny robots moving around the ground to ensure everything is in its proper place. We’re still a long way from being there, but the monitoring systems we have are getting smarter.
Shortly: Melbourne’s underpinning is a mix of art and science that keeps our buildings from performing impromptu poses. Remember: a solid foundation not only makes sense, but it also gives you peace of mind (pun intended). Here’s to a solid foundation and homes that remain where they are – as we like them! subject too quickly. Taxes and insurance aren’t blockbuster topics, but we still find them important to discuss.