When WED2B, one of the UK’s leading bridal designer outlets, discovered subsidence beneath a slab within its main Milton Keynes warehouse, it called on Mainmark Ground Engineering UK to put an end to operational disruptions and safety concerns.
Subsidence, where the ground beneath a building sinks and damages surrounding structures, has increasingly hindered productivity in British and Irish warehouses in recent years.
The management team at the WED2B facility first spotted the issue during a routine health and safety inspection. Deciding to monitor the sinkage, the facilities team noticed that the slab had sunk over 100mm in 24 months.
The uneven floors had created a trip hazard and were beginning to disrupt workflow. The 1500m2 (approx.) warehouse is the sole provider for WED2B’s growing nationwide network of bridal stores, and the problem had reached a critical stage that demanded a quick, effected solution to restore full functionality to the site.
However, due to the warehouse needing to remain operational, the slab had to be stabilised promptly with minimal disruptions to the business.
Mainmark UK was brought in to evaluate the subsidence problem, which was affecting approximately a third of the warehouse, and deliver a fast solution.
David Hedley, Commercial and Infrastructure Lead at Mainmark UK comments: “WED2B approached us seeking a fast, minimally disruptive solution for its sunken slab.
“There are many different causes of subsidence like this. Extreme weather can cause reactive clay to expand and contract, heavy loads can loosen sandy or fine soils, or nearby excavation work can generate ground vibrations. Milton Keynes is a major hub for redevelopment of manufacturing and logistics and so experiencing this kind of ground movement is not unexpected.
For this project Mainmark proposed to use its advanced Teretek® resin injection technology, a non-invasive and highly effective ground improvement method. The two-part resin mixture is injected deep beneath the surface, which then expands into foam, filling voids under the slab and carefully lifting it back to its original position.
“The injection method was minimally invasive and enabled the project to be completed quickly, significantly reducing the time needed to fix the problem compared to traditional methods, such as underpinning, which would have taken weeks.
“By drilling small, targeted holes and using precise laser monitoring, we were able to restore the slab to within 10mm of its original position. Our team tailored the injections specifically to the site’s subsidence challenges, delivering a customised and reliable ground improvement solution that met the projects tight schedule and operational requirements.”
WED2B appreciated the efficiency and professionalism demonstrated by Mainmark UK throughout the project.
The warehouse management team commented, “It’s been a very good process from our point of view.
“Mainmark has delivered everything they promised. The team was professional and knowledgeable, and they worked with minimal disruption to our operations. I would 100% recommend them to any business.”
Mainmark Ground Engineering (UK) Ltd is a subsidiary of the Mainmark group of companies established in 2016. The company, which operates across the UK and Ireland, has over three decades of experience and has established itself as a pioneering force in the industry, leading the way in developing and delivering cutting-edge solutions.
Learn how Mainmark’s Teretek® resin injection can improve warehouse ground stability at: https://mainmark.co.uk/commercial/warehouse-subsidence/