​Victoria and South Australia are home to some of the most reactive soils in the world.

Foundational movement implies that the soil below the foundation’s is moving abnormally, which results in excess forces being exerted onto the foundations. These forces transfer through the foundations into the walls, and ceiling, resulting in cracking and bowing of the structure. This distress can affect the durability of the structure and create significant safety concerns, resulting in costly repairs if not addressed immediately.

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Structures founded on sandy and rocky sites do not typically undergo foundational movement, although structures founded on clayey sites are more likely to be affected by foundational movement.

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There are many causes of foundational movement, although the most typical cause is the variation in moisture within the soil.

Soil moisture testing across the affected soil area is key to understanding the cause of the foundational movement. 

For engineers to comprehend the expected surface movement of the site, a soil test is conducted prior to the foundations design and construction is completed Geological maps are analyzed, and borehole/drilling is completed, so that the estimated surface movement (reactiveness) of the soil type can be approximated.

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Unfortunately, in previous years the concept of foundational movement and surface movement was not widely understood by engineers, resulting in many structures designed and built with inadequate foundations, which are more susceptible to movement.

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Panthom’s experience in Geotechnical engineering & Structural design, in combination with state-of-the-art field testing and investigation ensures that each client receives an accurate definition of the cause of soil moisture variation alongside cost effective long term solutions.