BUILDING CAVES IN: No one injured in overnight collapse at NDSU excava

[conceng]

Read the full article here about an addition to an old classroom building in Fargo, North Dakota:

http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/264023/

Could not have happened at a better time for nobody being there. During the design phase, I'm glad we didn't back down on the principles of performing due diligence. We didn't get this project because the scope of our proposed geotech work was significantly more than our competitors.

Greg

 

[chicopee]

It is somewhat reminiscent of the civic center roof collapse in Hartford, CT which prior to the collapse, baskeball games were played with thousand of spectators. Luckily the place was empty during this disaster.

 

[bpattengale]

Thats been the topic of discusion around the office yesterday. Its hard to believe that with the excavation as close to the building and open as long as it has been that there wasn't some kind of shoring in place.

Not to mention the fact the soils around here are horrible to begin with. I mean look at the 9th St Overpass embankment failure. Although that is the first time I've ever seen geofoam installed, should of went out there and seen it.

 

[ishvaaag]

Certainly, this kind of failure is so frequent that we are to ask why it is not yet barren from the face of Earth.

 

[JLNJ]

Geotechs and structurals take on a tremendous amount of responsibility for the fee they get.

Heck, the landscape architect probably got more fee than the geotechnical engineer.