The Deep Pinning philosophy.

23 February 2016

“Welcome to our website.  If you suspect your home needs some underpinning, please contact us for a no-obligation consultation.  There may be existing factors such as trees that are too close to a footing, ground subsidence due to nearby retaining wall failure etc. which can be dealt with simply and therefore underpinning is not required.  Never agree to underpinning until a full assessment has been carried out by an experienced geotechnical engineer – often salesmen do not understand the whole structural system by which structures and the ground profile interact.  Underpinning should be considered the last resort – not the knee-jerk response.  In some cases, underpinning can make the situation worse as a stable reference is created which exaggerates the ongoing movement in the rest of the dwelling.  If a contractor suggests that underpinning is necessary without asking you detailed questions about your property and it’s history, then their solution may be unjustified, ineffective and a waste of your hard-earned money.  Often when a problem appears in a previously stable home, there is a defined event, such as a leaking water supply or sewer/stormwater pipe, which has triggered the footing movement.  If fixed quickly, the foundation conditions should return to their previously stable state – no underpinning is normally required.

I offer a wholistic approach to footing repairs, putting myself in the ‘footings’ of the house and trying to determine what has caused the change in behaviour.  Most people are surprised to learn that most homes I assess do not require underpinning either because the original trigger which lead to the movement has been repaired in the past or that something as simple as blocked gutters, garden taps left dripping or rainfall run-off from a neighbours’ driveway is creating the foundation imbalance.  We always endeavour to treat the cause of the problem AND the symptoms.

Thank you for visiting the site.  I hope the information I have gleamed from over 20 years of specialised experience as a site-based Geotechnical Engineer helps you decide on the best possible solution.  Be assured that being bound by the Institution of Engineers Australia’s code of ethics, advice I provide is genuine, professional and the most cost effective in the long term.

I am very proud of the underpinning system I have developed over many years and believe it has revolutionised the field of underpinning for the better – I look forward to helping you if required in the future.”

 

Michael O’Halloran  BE (UTAS) PEng. HIA Member.

Owner, The Underpinning Engineers. Inventor of Deep Pinning.

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