ABSTRACT
The separate actions of shoring and underpinning have been described in the literature, notably in the classic treatise by Cecil Haden Stock in 1882. Stock found that little of the practice of shoring and underpinning had been committed to print in a form suitable for proper study of the subject and he collated and presented the works of various authorities then engaged in that practice. Two discerning comments were made by Stock; firstly, that direct involvement with site works was the only way to gain proper knowledge and adequate practical ability of underpinning, and, secondly, that theoretical knowledge per se should not be allowed to interfere with the application of sound techniques derived from long experience. Regardless of the fact that Stock was dealing with ruinous and dangerous building structures constructed before the turn of the century and although considerable technological progress has been made over the past two decades, these statements are still relevant today in the context of underpinning. Much benefit can be obtained from Stock's comprehensive descriptions both of earlier buildings and of the practice of shoring and underpinning at that time. Reference may also be made to Prentis and White (1950), Hunter (1952) and Tomlinson (1978) for useful information on earlier and recent forms of shoring respectively.
