By 2015, the government wants to have enough land available on previously public sites to support more than 100,000 houses and flats.

Already it has managed to outline locations for 102,000 properties, on former army barracks, NHS hospital sites and coal yards.

However, building on brownfield sites that have not been used before for housing can be an unpredictable process, until the ground-bearing capacity of the land is known.

CFA piles help to overcome such uncertainty, as they can be put in place with very small amounts of noise and vibration, yet are able to support very high loads.

The Continuous Flight Auger approach is effective in confined areas where large excavations are not an option, which can be ideal if a brownfield site already has foundations in place from previous constructions.

Piling rigs simply bore a small hole into the ground, which is then filled with concrete and a reinforcing cage – a fairly easy procedure that means foundations can be put where you need them, without the whole site needing to be cleared of any previous developments.

On May 16th, Loughborough University is hosting an event at which several high-ranking individuals from concrete-related organisations will meet to discuss sustainability topics.

Ahead of the event, the Sustainable Concrete Forum has published figures showing how precast products including concrete piles are more eco-friendly than many people might think.

For instance, a quarter of the aggregates already used by the precast concrete industry are from recycled or secondary sources – and their end-products can often be fully recycled, too.

Precast concrete piles can be kind to other resources as well – with up to 85% of the water used by the industry reused or recycled each year.

Of the water that is used, more than a third (36%) comes not from the mains supply, but from licensed alternative sources – reducing the strain placed on the environment, and on drinking supplies, by the manufacture of concrete piles.

If you’re planning a project that needs to demonstrate environmental commitment from its outset, concrete pile foundations are one way to incorporate sustainability from the ground up.

Back in January, we told you about expansive soils – ground that expands or contracts to a large degree due to changes in moisture.

Since then, we have seen an early-spring heatwave that left the country facing drought conditions, followed by heavy rains that have caused disruption for quite the opposite reason.

With many people confused as to why they are subject to a hose-pipe ban when their garden is waterlogged, it’s worth considering what’s happening underground.

That dried-out soil during the highest temperatures of the drought is likely to have contracted in size – with expansive soils shrinking to a particularly large extent.

Now the rains have come, some areas will be swelling back to their fullest, which is likely to cause shifting in the foundations of buildings constructed in expansive soils.

If you suspect your property has weakened as a result of the strange conditions seen so far in 2012, you may want to look into underpinning foundations to help add extra support where it is no longer provided by the surrounding soil.

A report from the Health and Safety Executive and the Olympic Delivery Authority notes how the pile foundations were subject to safety assessments – in particular, attempts to determine how loud the work would be.

Planners then used a ‘bullseye’ method to create red, amber and green zones around any location where piling rigs would be used.

Those working on the piling rigs were required to wear ear defenders, while those further away had the choice over whether they wanted to wear them.

In the green zone, furthest from the piling rigs, no ear protection was necessary – and quieter work could continue uninterrupted.

The project is a great example of how foundation piling can take place even on a site where other work is being carried out, and how professionals can make sure no workers are put at unnecessary risk by doing so.

With all eyes turning to London this summer, it’s good to know that the Olympic venues are built on firm foundations – and that they were laid with safety in mind.

Research from HSBC indicates that many first-time buyers are “naive” when it comes to buying their first home, and do not ask the most important questions of the vendor.

Just 5% consider subsidence to be something they should ask about – compared with 14% of estate agents who said it is an important question.

Instead, first-time buyers often focus on more general issues like location, garden size and the presence of local amenities – all of which they could find out for themselves, without asking the vendor.

“Buying a home is a serious financial commitment, so it is important that first-time buyers do their homework,” says HSBC’s head of mortgages Peter Dockar.

For those who find their new home is subject to subsidence, but who have already exchanged contracts and keys, underpinning foundations can help to prevent any further slipping of brickwork.

Even in poor ground conditions, we can combine pile foundations with needle beams to offer an extra level of support to a property.

With several types of piling foundations to choose from, contact our pile driving contractors and we can help you to decide which is right for your property.

The National Planning Policy Framework has been compiled to address three concerns: sustainable economic growth; environmental protection; and complexity in the planning system.

It sets out plans to ensure quarried materials such as aggregates and concretes remain available for a long time to come, while noting that they are a finite resource.

But it also recognises the contribution towards economic growth that materials such as concrete can make.

Concrete piles have long been among the most frequently used methods of supporting new structures, but this may be the first time many people have become aware of their economic value.

“It is heartening to see recognition of the need for essential minerals as a strategic issue, both nationally and locally, and the great weight that needs to be given to the benefits of mineral extraction, including to the economy,” says Nigel Jackson, chief executive of the Mineral Products Association.

The NPPF calls for local policies to be created to safeguard the future supply of essential minerals, but adds that existing concrete batching facilities should be protected along with existing, planned and potential production sites for other concrete products.

The weed is a significant enough threat that the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has published specific guidance on how to assess the risk it poses to buildings.

The highest threat level – tier four – is reserved for when growth is detected within 7m of conservatories and garages.

In a single season, Japanese Knotweed can spread 7m across the ground, and it can reach a height of 3m in just 10 weeks.

However, its deep roots may present more cause for concern where foundations are involved, as at 3m they can draw water from the ground deeper than many other plants might.

This can leave the underground soil dried out, raising the risk of subsidence – something the new RICS guidance should help surveyors to assess more accurately.

If your surveyor raises concerns during a remortgaging evaluation of your property, you may want to seek advice about underpinning foundations that have been disrupted by Japanese Knotweed, other root systems or simply by soil that has become parched due to excessive drainage and inadequate rainfall.

While environmental impact is a growing concern for many construction projects, it is often assessed purely in terms of the carbon footprint of a particular scheme.

However, concrete piles can extend this, by allowing the direct effects of construction on an area to be taken into account.

Continuous Flight Auger or CFA piles are one type of concrete piles that are well suited to environmentally sensitive sites, as they typically cause less disturbance to the surrounding area than delivering pre-cast piles might.

But with CFA piles and pre-cast concrete piles alike, it is important to think about where the material itself is sourced from.

The Mineral Products Association addressed this issue recently at its second MPA Biodiversity Exchange, an event attended by representatives of organisations including the RSPB, Pond Conservation and the Wildlife Trusts.

Ken Hobden, director of mineral planning, explained: “Biodiversity promotion and monitoring at mineral sites is a key issue for MPA members, who already have a proven legacy of high-quality biodiversity enhancement through site management and restoration.”

For eco-conscious construction companies, this is a further example of how concrete quarriers, processors and suppliers are working to protect the natural environment while providing a valuable resource to continue work in the UK’s built environment.

The Association of British Insurers says the standard excess for subsidence claims is usually £1,000 on buildings insurance policies.

Any cost above that should be met by your insurer – allowing you to enlist the help of professionals in underpinning foundations on your house or outbuildings before subsidence worsens.

To determine whether you may have a subsidence problem, look out for windows or doors that do not close easily, and cracks wide enough to slot a 10p coin into them.

Weather conditions can lead to subsidence – and with much of the UK currently technically in drought conditions, dried-out soil may shift more easily than it otherwise would.

However, even in areas that receive plenty of rain, trees can cause problems for nearby structures.

This is not due to encroachment from their roots, as many people might think, but is because a large deciduous tree can draw 50,000 litres or more of water out of the ground each year.

In essence, this destabilises the ground in the same way as a period of drought.

Look out for the early warning signs of subsidence, and consider underpinning foundations if you think your property may be at risk.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics put infrastructure growth in double digits, helping the construction industry as a whole to positive growth over the past year.

In the quarter from November 2011 to January 2012, infrastructure project starts were up by 11.1% compared with the previous year, leading to a 0.6% overall growth in construction despite falling activity in public non-housing projects.

For pile driving contractors, this means plenty of demand, as large infrastructure work often needs firm foundations to be put in place before above-ground construction can commence.

The strong performance of the sector is excellent news for the country as a whole as the economy continues to recover from its recent turbulence.

Infrastructure work helps to keep activity levels high in construction – but it also has knock-on benefits for other industries.

New transport links, power stations and other amenities all help communities to develop, putting Britons everywhere in a good position to make the most of new economic activity in the months to come.