Patent ID: 7967531

Claim:
A method of raising a building having supporting walls supported with respect to the ground and a pre-existing old foundation; the method comprising the steps of: forming a mat and establishing structural continuity between the mat and the supporting walls, the mat having a plurality of through holes, each surrounded by a number of ties projecting upwards; inserting a foundation pile through each of the plurality of through holes; fitting each foundation pile with a lifting device, which comprises at least one hydraulic jack, with one side positioned on a top end of the foundation pile, and is connected, on the other side, to the corresponding ties which act as reaction members; detaching the building from the pre-existing old foundation; exerting thrust on the foundation piles by means of the lifting devices to raise the building with respect to the ground; and fixing each foundation pile axially to the mat once the building is raised; wherein the step of exerting thrust on the foundation piles includes the further steps of: dividing the lifting devices into at least three, symmetrically positioned independent work groups; and simultaneously activating the lifting devices of only one work group at a time, so that the building along with the mat is raised isostatically, by simultaneously activating the lifting devices of one work group at a time by expanding the relevant hydraulic jacks, while the lifting devices of the other two work groups are left idle.