Project: Administrative building
Location: Moscow, Russia
Year: 2024
Duration: 5 days
Technology: DEEP INJECTION
The history of restoring the soil under the foundation without opening, excavating, or grabbing...
Problem
Active development of cracks in the walls of the building
Solution
Stopping the development of deformation and destruction
How it all began
In November 2024, the URETEK office received an alarming request from an organisation responsible for the condition of historical buildings in central Moscow. One of the objects – a brick house with a century‑old history, dense layout and a classic strip foundation about two metres deep – began to behave unexpectedly restlessly. Seven years ago, they first noticed that something was wrong: the floors began to subtly “sink”, and thin, pencil‑like cracks appeared on the walls. At first they seemed harmless – small lines that could be attributed to settlement. But time took its toll: the cracks grew, changed direction, became wider and more noticeable. The space was losing stability, and workers had to adapt to the constant feeling that the building was slightly “breathing” underfoot.
In November 2024, the URETEK office received an alarming request from an organisation responsible for the condition of historical buildings in central Moscow. One of the objects – a brick house with a century‑old history, dense layout and a classic strip foundation about two metres deep – began to behave unexpectedly restlessly. Seven years ago, they first noticed that something was wrong: the floors began to subtly “sink”, and thin, pencil‑like cracks appeared on the walls. At first they seemed harmless – small lines that could be attributed to settlement. But time took its toll: the cracks grew, changed direction, became wider and more noticeable. The space was losing stability, and workers had to adapt to the constant feeling that the building was slightly “breathing” underfoot.
Problem
By the time of the request, the deformations were already seriously restricting the use of the premises. It became clear: the building was signalling – the foundation was losing density, the supports were tiring, time demanded intervention.
The project in detail
First steps: site visit and diagnostics
A URETEK engineer arrived at the site on an early cold morning. The house stood quietly, with that Moscow charm of narrow alleys, but inside there was tension: the floors were barely noticeably sloped, cracks cut through the walls like scars. A visual inspection confirmed that the problem was not superficial. It was deeper – in the foundation. To understand how seriously the soils had weakened, the team proposed dynamic probing – a method that allows one to literally “read” the density of the layer under the foundation.
Foundation investigation
The survey was carried out pointwise but on a large scale – more than twenty probing points around the perimeter and inside the load contours. Each probe penetration gave a new line in the history of this building – somewhere the soil resisted, held the load, and somewhere it lost density, gave way and could no longer perform its role. The picture became obvious: loosened zones had formed under part of the foundation. The building was standing, but no longer firmly. It was precisely in these areas that structural deformations appeared – and it was there that the work should be directed.
A URETEK engineer arrived at the site on an early cold morning. The house stood quietly, with that Moscow charm of narrow alleys, but inside there was tension: the floors were barely noticeably sloped, cracks cut through the walls like scars. A visual inspection confirmed that the problem was not superficial. It was deeper – in the foundation. To understand how seriously the soils had weakened, the team proposed dynamic probing – a method that allows one to literally “read” the density of the layer under the foundation.
Foundation investigation
The survey was carried out pointwise but on a large scale – more than twenty probing points around the perimeter and inside the load contours. Each probe penetration gave a new line in the history of this building – somewhere the soil resisted, held the load, and somewhere it lost density, gave way and could no longer perform its role. The picture became obvious: loosened zones had formed under part of the foundation. The building was standing, but no longer firmly. It was precisely in these areas that structural deformations appeared – and it was there that the work should be directed.
Solution
Developing the solution: technology subordinated to the goal
Geotechnical engineers processed the data, performed calculations, and modelled the behaviour of the foundation under further loads. The loosening was confirmed. Now a decision had to be made – technological, precise and delicate, so as not to affect the historical interior or disrupt the operation of the premises. The method of deep injection of a two‑component polymer material was chosen – a technology that works without destroying the structure and does not require stopping operation. The material is injected under the foundation, expands in the base, fills voids, restores density and returns stability to the building. In fact, this is a “return of support” procedure, foundation surgery, where high‑precision geo‑injection works instead of heavy equipment.
Implementation: a few days that changed the fate of the building
The work proceeded quickly and with jewellery‑like precision. There was no need to open the floors, dismantle finishes or vacate the premises. Thin injection tubes, pressure control, layer‑by‑layer filling – the process looked almost like engineering art. In a few days, the soil under the foundation was restored to the required characteristics. The house noticeably “calmed down”: the cracks stopped growing, the geometry of the premises stabilised, and operation became safe again.
Completion: life after strengthening
After the work was completed, the customer received recommendations for further operation and monitoring. Now the building is stable again, and its structural base is reliably strengthened. Thanks to URETEK technology, the object was preserved without destructive interventions, major repairs or costly downtime. The story that began with quiet cracks ended with stabilisation and the extension of the life of an architectural space that will continue to serve the city for many years.
Geotechnical engineers processed the data, performed calculations, and modelled the behaviour of the foundation under further loads. The loosening was confirmed. Now a decision had to be made – technological, precise and delicate, so as not to affect the historical interior or disrupt the operation of the premises. The method of deep injection of a two‑component polymer material was chosen – a technology that works without destroying the structure and does not require stopping operation. The material is injected under the foundation, expands in the base, fills voids, restores density and returns stability to the building. In fact, this is a “return of support” procedure, foundation surgery, where high‑precision geo‑injection works instead of heavy equipment.
Implementation: a few days that changed the fate of the building
The work proceeded quickly and with jewellery‑like precision. There was no need to open the floors, dismantle finishes or vacate the premises. Thin injection tubes, pressure control, layer‑by‑layer filling – the process looked almost like engineering art. In a few days, the soil under the foundation was restored to the required characteristics. The house noticeably “calmed down”: the cracks stopped growing, the geometry of the premises stabilised, and operation became safe again.
Completion: life after strengthening
After the work was completed, the customer received recommendations for further operation and monitoring. Now the building is stable again, and its structural base is reliably strengthened. Thanks to URETEK technology, the object was preserved without destructive interventions, major repairs or costly downtime. The story that began with quiet cracks ended with stabilisation and the extension of the life of an architectural space that will continue to serve the city for many years.
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