When Wykamol were approached by a structural engineer about their range of Thor helical structural repair products, and whether these products could help solve a problem with movement to brickwork and quoins to a large commercial premise, the Wykamol team explained some similar scenarios they had resolved to properties with similar problems.

Wykamol suggested a site visit by one of their registered Thor helical installers to ascertain the problem and to come up with a scheme of repair to solve the issues that were occurring.

Wykamol registered installer Olympic Construction attended site and Managing Director Adrian Dawson of Olympic looked at the thermal and movement issues and designed a repair scheme using Wykamol helical wire and specialist wall ties to bring stability back to the areas involved.

To prevent the quoins becoming unstable and separating from the main structure, following further differential thermal movement, an efficient and concealed method was needed to rectify the situation.

Thor helical stainless steel helical bars were installed between every quoin on each of the corners of the property. The bars were bonded into channelled-out mortar beds, where possible bent around the corners and extended 500mm beyond the end of each quoin.

Adrian had to rebuild various areas that has become unstable with the Quoin movement and bed the helical wire in at this stage. Olympic also reinforced the masonry, fixed the quoins securely to the building and stabilised each of the corners.

Adrian also added Thor helical wall ties to pin the area adjacent to the quoins to again give further stability alongside the helical wire, a full remedial wall tie scheme was also undertaken to support the cavity masonry walls which had insufficient wall ties in the structure to give stability from the leaves moving apart.

Being able to diagnose these issues and remedy them with specialist products and competent installers is something that Wykamol do daily. The structural repair market is an important area for Wykamol and their contractors with dry weather conditions causing more issues with shrinking clay soils.

Victorian and Edwardian homes, built on shallower foundations than modern homes, are under threat. Most at risk are those built on the clay subsoil. Trees near properties are often the cause of the worst problems. With their profuse root systems, they absorb vast quantities of moisture, aggravating the shrinkage brought on by the hot and dry weather.

Thermal movement is also an issue as shown in this case study, caused by the expansion and contraction of the fabric of the building due to hot and cold weather. When it is hot, the masonry expands causing compressive forces which the masonry can cope with due to its high compression strength but once it is cold the material shrinks with tensile forces causing cracking. This cycle is repeated, and small cracks eventually turn into large cracks.

Let the team at Wykamol help if you have structural issues.