A property owner contacted SERL after receiving recommendations from their design structural engineer, who endorsed our well-respected expertise and independence particularly in the North London area.
The client needed our assistance with a structural engineer’s report to address concerns about cracking before proceeding with a single-storey extension. The design structural engineer lacked the specialisation in such reports, which is normal since the experience and skills required for design work differ significantly from those needed for structural reports.
In response to the client’s requirements our qualified Chartered Structural Engineer recommended a General Structural Inspection (GSI) report.
SERL offers two types of structural reports:
1) A localised, specific, and limited Specific Structural Inspection (SSI) report or a Structural Engineers Defect Report.
2) A broader General Structural Inspection Report (GSI) or Structural Engineers General Movement Report which focuses on cracking and movement.
The property was a typical North London family home, spanning three floors and located at the end of a terrace with a hipped roof. Built around 1870, the house featured traditional solid brick external walls, suspended timber floors, and roof framing. As expected, certain areas of the lower ground floor were rendered.
It exhibited plain front and rear façades, lacking bay windows or prior extensions. Geological maps suggested the house likely sat on Langley Silt above London Clay, both of which are susceptible to early settlement and modern subsidence during droughts or when affected by tree roots.
Geological maps indicated that the house was probably located on Langley Silt overlying London Clay. Both are prone to early age settlement and modern day subsidence in drought conditions or when exacerbated by tree roots.
Our structural inspection found that the property showed typical signs of early age settlement, with sloping brick courses and door frames visible on both the front and rear elevations. Notably, the centre pillar between the windows and doors on either side had a tendency to sink into the soil, as the weight of the bricks compressed the soft ground shortly after construction.
This phenomenon, termed ‘early age settlement’, refers to the impact of the building’s weight on the underlying soil. It differs from subsidence, where the soil and consequently the house sink independently of any added weight, often due to drying soil in drought conditions or moisture extraction by tree roots.
Our conclusion was that the movement appeared entirely historical, with no evidence of recent subsidence.
As the client was about to start the single-storey extension, we were pleased to confirm that the project could proceed without issues. And an added bonus was that he extension would even strengthen the rear elevation with its modern, deeper foundations.
We were able to report positively to the client, who was pleased with our findings.