Green piling

Clients always have and always will be primarily concerned with achieving a costeffective and durable result, be it for remedial work or for new build.

But there is a significant trend to seek the shortest possible completion time and lowest environmental impact.

Traditional piling and underpinning have the lengthy timescales and associated disruptions and costs imposed by excavations. So clients are increasingly willing to consider alternatives.

Innovative technologies are rapidly gaining ground and the industry winners will be those willing to employ these nontraditional methods.

Geopolymer resin injection is used in slab lifting and deep injection technologies to restore settled flooring and road slabs, and to strengthen ground at depth to remedy subsidence.

These resins, which can reduce project timescales with their less intrusive applications, have enjoyed a boom in the last couple of years. Many resins are also environmentally neutral.

A project's carbon footprint is becoming important to clients.

Without excavations, there is no material needing to be removed or replaced, so multiple site deliveries are unnecessary.

Companies offering such advantages will benefit now that clients are considering the overall environmental impact of the work.

Just 10 years ago such factors were hardly ever discussed. Now they are becoming increasingly important and look likely to significantly change the face of the market.