Hello, I need help in identifying a house on Basingstoke Road in Reading. I am a builder, and I have been commissioned to demolish the rear wall of this property. The client hired a structural engineer who came and calculated the beam without a detailed inspection of the wall. The beam was purchased, and we began work. However, after removing the render, it turned out that we are dealing with a concrete wall. Of course, inserting the beam at this point is out of the question. But we were wondering if we could possibly turn a window into a door (at least one of them). Identifying the house and the type of technology used in the wall construction would be very helpful. Two structural engineers were at a loss, so I would greatly appreciate any assistance. I am attaching photos
I've checked Reading Councils Non-Standard Housing stock list and unfortunately they have nothing listed on the B3031 Basingstoke Road.
It is highly probable that this short stretch of four former council properties are all now privately owned, making identification through the council records, difficult.
The majority of Reading Councils current Non-Traditional Housing Stock consist of the following build types;
Bison 127
Laing Easiform 103
Wates 367
Wimpey No-Fines 498
It is possible that the properties on Basingstoke Road fall into one of these groups, but I have not found and exact match myself.
From your photos, it looks like the property may be No-Fines concrete, but the resolution is not high enough for me to confirm this. Can you supply a close-up of the drilled concrete, along with an image of the roof structure if possible?
mardembek Topic starter
29 November 2023 9:27 PM
@daveb Hey David !
Thank you very much for your reply.
After consulting with an experienced structural engineer, we determined that this house was cast from cement on-site using molds. So, I think you hit the nail on the head, and I believe it's a Laing Easiform Cast.
It has about 10-12 centimeters of almost wavy concrete, a layer of foil, and another 10-12 cm of slag concrete without a cavity.
Eventually, we cut a door opening in place of a window without demolishing the wall.
Indeed, it's a strange construction and completely without insulation!
Thank you for your suggestion 
(see attachments)
