The construction of such a large building on a site containing London clay requires very deep foundations. Due to the high land prices in the central London area it was decided to make use of this space by incorporating a two-storey basement area into the design. The basement was formed using secant piling that was faced with reinforced shotcrete.

Traumatic damp is defined as dampness caused by a building defect that lets moisture into the home.

Depending on the type of piles used, reinforced concrete or sprayed reinforced concrete will need to be applied on top of the piles to consolidate them and provide a suitable surface for the waterproofing system. The waterproofing system used could be a cavity drainage system (Oldroyd Xv 20), a crystalline active water-proofer (Drybase Crystalline Active Tanking Slurry), or preferably a…