CURVEB
Structural
- Jul 29, 2013
- 133
Hi - not sure if this is the right forum but wanted to see what kind of response I got. I'm investigating a "sink-hole" issue where a building owner is saying that a water pipe broke under his building, causing it to settle, shift, etc. The evidence of damage is some minor cracking in the caulk joints, separation of trim, and the fact that the floor elevation drops by up to 2" from one side to the other (over ~20 ft). I have reason to believe that there was a pipe broken somewhere below the ground floor (a slab-on-grade). and it happens to coincide with the most "sunken" area of the floor.
I'm trying to determine if it is possible for a building to shift by this much due to water in the soil. I'm thinking there should be evidence of the soil scouring out from around the building/below the footings, but I can't find any. Any thoughts on what evidence I should look for, or if the water in the soil could be a plausible cause for this movement/damage?
I'm trying to determine if it is possible for a building to shift by this much due to water in the soil. I'm thinking there should be evidence of the soil scouring out from around the building/below the footings, but I can't find any. Any thoughts on what evidence I should look for, or if the water in the soil could be a plausible cause for this movement/damage?