The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors estimates that millions of business premises built on clay-rich soils in the UK are at high risk of subsidence due to this summer’s record heatwave and drought.
Insurance Claims for UK Subsidence and Foundation Repairs
Insurance companies are reporting a year-on-year surge in subsidence claims, as extreme heat and drought dry out soils around the country. Housing Associations with a portfolio of properties qualify for a commercial discount with Subsidence Ltd.
Your commercial buildings insurance should cover any damage to sinking floors that are present in the facility caused by subsidence. It’s recommended that you contact your insurer at the first signs of subsidence so the problem can be taken care of efficiently. However, subsidence claims can be quite costly so the policy holder should bear in mind that there may be a high excess charge.
Commercial Subsidence Repairs for Housing Associations
In commercial properties, heavy equipment and vehicle movements rely on level, stable slabs for effective operations. Subsidence occurs where the original foundations of a warehouse are unsuitable for the ground it has originally been built on, or where the impact of the weather has caused ground movement.
Sinking foundations, poorly laid concrete floors, accesses and hardstanding areas are common of reasons for warehouses or commercial property subsidence.
If a warehouse concrete floor drops, causing it to slope, the facility can become unsafe to operate in and cause downtime to operations. Particularly where forklifts are in operation, sloping or uneven floors make it unsafe for both manual and automatic high-bay forklift stacking devices. This means certain jobs cannot be done effectively, slowing down production and impacting revenue.
Commercial Subsidence Solutions – Underpinning Structural Repairs Alternative
If left untreated, building subsidence can lead to higher business costs as the premise cannot be used for its purpose. Speak to our engineers on 0333 1300592 .
Our resin injection process can be used to fill large voids and large holes, as well as to re-level and re-support sinking slabs and sinking floors which can cause costly operational and safety issues, quickly and cost effectively. It can also be used to reinforce the foundation under load-bearing walls within the property.
Often we can do this work without disrupting your commercial operation, as long as a safe working area can be provided, and we can do the operation quickly with little or no mess.
The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors ( RICS ) has highlighted a significant concern regarding the impact of the 2023 summer’s record heatwave and drought on properties built on clay-rich soils in the UK. They estimate that millions of business premises and homes are at high risk of subsidence due to these weather conditions.
This alert is based on the understanding that extreme heat and drought can dry out the soil, particularly clay-rich soil, which is prone to shrinkage and can lead to subsidence. This issue is further underscored by a reported 218% year-on-year surge in subsidence claims in the first two weeks of August of the reported year, as indicated by insurer LV General Insurance.
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