Bog Land Home Renovation & Foundation Upgrade on Prince Albert Street, Vancouver | Level One Construction
Discover how Level One Construction navigated extreme peat soil conditions during a major renovation on Prince Albert Street, Vancouver. Expert foundation solutions for bog land and soft soil properties.
🏡 Major Renovation & Foundation Upgrade on Bog Land – Prince Albert Street, Vancouver
At Level One Construction, we specialize in complex residential projects—including building and renovating homes on unstable, soft soils like peat bogs. Our recent renovation on Prince Albert Street in East Vancouver involved upgrading an older 2-storey home built on challenging bog land with a slab-on-grade foundation that had experienced differential settlement over time.
The goal was to improve foundation stability, and mitigate future movement—without disrupting the unique soil profile of the area.
🔍 Site Soil Conditions – Key Findings:
A geotechnical review by Geotechnical Engineers revealed:
3”–4” thick concrete slab over granular fill
Beneath the slab: very soft native peat, extending up to 10 feet deep
Below the peat: soft clay, followed by silty sand hard pan at ~17–20 feet
The area is within a designated peat bog zone per the City of Vancouver Peat and Waterways Map
These conditions required careful planning due to low bearing capacity and high risk of long-term settlement.
🔧 Foundation Options Considered:
1. Pile Foundation (Preferred)
Use of steel helical piles (30 kip capacity) in limited access areas
Supported by grade beams
Virtually no settlement in new footings
Risk of differential movement unless old foundations are also underpinned
2. Shallow Footing Option
Peat under new footings removed and replaced with 2.5' of compacted 19mm road base
Footings designed for 700 psf (SLS)
Economical, but with some anticipated future settlement
3. Slab Lowering
Slab lowered a few inches to increase headroom to 6'6"
Slab structurally independent from foundation, reinforced to resist cracking
Laid over 4” of clear crushed gravel for drainage
Settlement up to 4” post-construction is expected
🛠 Project Scope Included:
Slab lowering
Foundation upgrades and drainage management
New footing installation
Structural reinforcement
Modernized interior renovation
⚠️ Why You Need Experts for Bog Soil Construction
Homes built on bog or peat soil require a specialized approach to foundation design and load management. Without it, structural movement, moisture infiltration, and costly future repairs are inevitable. Our team at Level One Constructionhas the experience and engineering partnerships necessary to deliver safe, high-quality results in even the most difficult site conditions.
📞 Have a property on bog, peat, or soft soil?
Contact Level One Construction to explore safe, engineered solutions for renovations or new builds on difficult ground conditions.