Preventing and Dealing with Building Damage Due to Underpinning

摘要

The process of excavating for a new building foundation, especially in urban settings, can often result in damage to adjacent buildings. In some cases, the damage can be severe, resulting in the need to temporarily vacate a building and even causing a partial collapse. The consequences can include injuries and loss of life, extensive property damage, construction delays, and expensive litigation. Even in cases of minor damage, the resulting insurance and legal issues can be expensive and distracting. Therefore it is advisable that the engineer of record (EOR) do all within his/her control to help prevent such accidents from occurring. Many of the failures that have occurred are preventable, at little or no added cost, with just the application of some common sense principles. rnThis paper identifies problematic building types and soil conditions, provides preventative recommendations, suggests ways that the engineer of record can better protect his/her clients and himself/herself, and discusses strategies for dealing with buildings that are exhibiting distress. It also discusses the roles and responsibilities of the geotechnical engineer, the structural engineer, and the underpinning engineer.