St Clair, one of Goulburn’s oldest homesteads, was in a sorry state. This large 1800s heritage house on brick wall footings had sunk into the ground. The second storey section at the back was on pillars over the courtyard and those pillars had really lost ground support, sinking out of level and causing extensive interior wall cracking.
The property had passed into the care of Goulburn’s Mulwaree Shire Council and Council wanted to make it into a presentable historical museum.
Council’s Museums Technical Officer, Nick Ryan, brought in Northrop Engineering, who assessed the problems and advised Council to engage Uretek Ground Engineering to lift the building back to level and stabilise the ground.
Under the careful eye of Uretek’s Area Project Manager, Dave Cocking, his small team of technical operatives injected the ground under the footings and pillars with their unique, expanding structural resins.
Success was quick and spectacular: in less than a day the whole structure had been relevelled!
The whole lefthand side of the building was raised 15mm and the front right corner 12mm. The pillars were brought up by 20mm.
Happily, in the process most of the wall cracks were closed up, making the refurbishment of wall surfaces straightforward.
And to guard against future problems, the foundation ground under the sunken areas was strengthened by the ground compacting action of the Uretek injections.
St Clair is now not only a fine museum but also a focal point of community pride.
Council’s Facilities Manager, David Raynor, has now had Northrop and Uretek carry out similar work raising and stabilising the whole front facade of the McDermott Centre.
This grand, old three storey heritage building on two metre deep sandstone footings had also suffered the ravages of time and drought. Formerly the Council Chambers, it is now a very popular community centre.
For more information contact Dave Cocking on 0406 744 603, mail dcocking@uretek.com.au or visit www.uretek.com.au
*Copy supplied by Uretek
