CROSS Safety Alert
Sudden loss of ground support
Overview
SCOSS has logged several incidents of unstable ground below structures where voids have opened up; so far without loss of life (UK), but pictures of the incidents show that safety could easily have been compromised, severely.
Given the range of incidents reported over recent years, and the fact that these encompass domestic properties, large infrastructure projects and public utilities, designers are cautioned to be aware of ‘sudden loss of ground support’. A number of causes are possible and are listed in the Alert.
Note: this Safety Alert was published by SCOSS (Standing Committee on Structural Safety). Since March 2021, SCOSS is integrated under the name Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures (CROSS).
Who should read this?
Those who own infrastructure assets and/or buildings, those who are engaged in development, architects and designers, civil and structural engineers, contractors, search and rescue organisations.
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I enjoyed your loss of ground support alert. In South Africa we have found in certain types of ground formation that in a study of 650 events over the 20-year period in a particular area, 643 (99 %) were found to be directly attributable to leaking services or humans negative influence i.e. water ingress as being the trigger. The attached paper presents a unique study of an area of before and after mitigation measures which illustrates the point. SCOSS should perhaps stress the avoidance of water ingress.