Our Services
Subsidence & Insurance Services
The need for investigations into the condition of a structure can be wide and varied. We work with most of the major Property Insurance and Loss Adjusters in the UK offering investigations following damage or symptoms of damage to any type of property. We specialise in subsidence investigations which range from easy to establish to complex investigations that consider a wide variety of factors where cause isn’t straightforward to establish. Our investigations include where structural damage may have been caused by fire, impact of a vehicle and escape of water.
We also offer the same service to individual homeowners who may not be covered by their insurance, or who wish to establish causes before making a claim.
The combination of our Surveyors, Engineers, Geotechnical Experts and Construction expertise allow us to investigate and report on nearly all types of structures, old & new.
Our service also extends to claims where mitigation and 3rd party witness services are required, for example where two parties can’t reach an agreement on the cause and solution.
Subsidence & Insurance Services
Structural Inspections
Visual structural surveys of houses have formed a large part of Shire’s background, working with a number of Local Authorities and Housing Associations. Shire have surveyed a number of differing housing types; these include bungalows, detached properties, semi-detached, maisonettes, three storey properties, low rise flats and tower blocks.
Impact Damage Analysis
We understand the need for a highly reactive, responsive service when it comes to analysing the extent of damage that can be caused to a building after an impact. We have teams on standby to survey the remaining structure & report back rapidly. Our survey and construction teams work together to resolve many insurance impact damage claims.
Dispute Resolution
There are occasions when Homeowners do not agree with either the cause of damage or the repairs proposed by an Insurance company. Shires extensive experience of subsidence matters allows them to produce independent Engineering reports to help resolve these disputes.
Expert Witness Service
In some subsidence claims the reason for the subsidence can be relatively easy to establish. In other claims, the reasons can be complex, and it could be that damage is caused by several different factors. Part of the damage could be caused by subsidence, but other areas of damage could be caused by factors such as movement of the roof structure, sulphate attack or past building alterations.
Remediation Design
There is often not a right or a wrong remediation scheme for subsidence damage property. This is where the wealth of experience of the Shire engineering team comes into play. Schemes could be as simple as removing vegetation or be as complicated as jacking the structure back to level.
Fire Damage Analysis
When buildings are potentially dangerous, engineers are needed to make a quick and accurate assessment of the building structure.
Ground/Drainage Investigations
The right remediation scheme for a subsidence damaged property starts with the right ground investigation. Our experienced ground investigation technicians know the importance of carefully taking and logging soil samples. For open construction sites we have larger tracked site investigation rigs and where access allows these can be used for domestic subsidence investigations.
Subsidence & Insurance Services Case studies
Housing Association Property in Hampshire
The ground floor of a housing association property in Hampshire had dropped by around two inches due to ground movement. Shire was contacted by the housing association to find a suitable solution to repair the issue before any significant damage was caused to the property.
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Shire Pile - London
Movement of basement floor in London. Caused by ground movement. Tight, restricted space eliminated use of heavy machinery
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Root Barriers
Special technique allows trench to be installed close to existing structures. Variety of options available
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