Corringham Primary School – Underpinning

Key Facts:

Client Name: Corringham Primary School
Location: Corringham, Thurrock
Type of client: Education, Primary Academy
Discipline provided by M+C: Building Surveying | Structural Engineering | Procurement | Project Management
Value: £55,000
Contractors: Forum Contracts
M+C Lead: Lee Hatwell

Corringham is a historic village located in Thurrock, with links back to Saxon times. As a long-established town, Corringham Primary School has served the area since 1870. The school’s ‘France’ classroom, surrounding toilets and corridor; located within the original Victorian block has suffered increasing subsidence. The corridor was causing ‘seasickness’ when walking along it. Pencils were rolling off of tables within the classroom and architrave was being split. To remedy this, underpinning of the building was required.

Ongoing movement within the building has been observed and monitored for a number of years. A review of the underlying topography confirmed no significant concerns and that the issue was caused by the building. The foundations to the building were found to be failing; with the building therefore requiring underpinning by replacement foundations.

As a major structural fault, the scheme was suitable for funding under the Condition Improvement Fund. The scheme, organised by the EFA provides grant funding to improve the condition of school facilities in need. A comprehensive bid was compiled; including a range of evidence of the issues. Alongside this, a detailed programme of works and specification was developed and tendered. With a contractor selected, a firm bid submission was supplied to the EFA and duly accepted.

The scheme was successfully delivered over the summer break, with existing foundations underpinned. The external corridor walls were removed, with new footings for those areas. The walls were rebuilt, and the classroom was given a simple refurbishment to rectify the cracking and damage to the building fabric.