House Building

Having begun life as an underpinning and foundation specialist, Van Elle's roots were traditionally in house building and this sector has grown substantially for us over the years. With specialist products such as our Smartfoot® modular foundation system, rigs of all sizes and capabilities and a variety of services including ground investigation, drilling and grouting, restricted access piling, open site piling, soil nails, ground anchors and precast ground beams, we can provide a one-stop solution for all of your ground stabilisation and foundation requirements.

As the UK's largest geotechnical engineering contractor and the '2011 Ground Engineering Specialist of the Year', we have developed a reputation for innovation and quality envied by many of our competitors. Working within so many diverse sectors, we are often able to use our experience from one type of project and implement it within another saving the clients time and money.

Unlike many of our competitors' products, Smartfoot is a completely unique, dry and bespoke foundation solution emphasising many of the benefits of such a system. Our fully automated IT package combines the 3 previous processes of producing a drawing, creating a design and completing a casting schedule meaning that, should the client require it, we can begin casting the following day and be on site lifting the beams into position a day later. As it is bespoke so each beam is produced for that location, on that plot and on that site, we only use as much steal and concrete as the loads dictate, making it one of the most sustainable and carbon controlled foundation solutions available today. Smartfoot can also, where ground conditions allow, be post tensioned directly on the ground further reducing time and costs.

Many of the UK's best known housebuilders take advantage of the benefits that Smartfoot and working with Van Elle can bring, significantly reducing the build time, up- front and overall costs, helping to improve safety on site and giving a single point of contact for the overall process up to DPC.

Repeatedly working for names such as Persimmon, Barratts, Bellway, Bovis, Taylor Wimpey and Countryside Properties, our expertise and professionalism at the design and construction phases give clients confidence that their project's foundations are in good hands.

Whether you are building a single plot or a large multi dwelling development, Van Elle can bring to you the same advantages that we offer all of our clients; a value engineered solution carried out by a multiple award winner and the UK's largest and most successful independent ground engineering specialists.

For information on past projects, please take a look at our housing related case studies or to discuss a specific project in more detail, contact Chris Bosworth, Technical Director, on 01773 580580 or at chris.bosworth@van-elle.co.uk.

Building on top of the Smartfoot® pre-cast foundation system

Smartfoot® beam being craned into position

Piling Rig