Abstract
The paper presents the summary of five case studies related to structural failures that were caused by the change in groundwater conditions during the existence of the buildings. The failures resulted from excessive differential settlements that were caused either by reactivation of consolidation process, due to change in effective stresses, or a change in water content in the case of expansive soils.
Highlights
The main causes of geotechnical failures, which are related to changes in groundwater conditions, include [1]: leakage of water mains and sewage systems, lowering of groundwater table, as well as water-induced shrinkage and swelling of expansive soils
Presented below are some selected case studies related to failures caused by reactivation of consolidation processes due to natural groundwater changes in the presence of organic soils, as well as some cases related to occurrence of expansive soils
This case study is related to the presence of expansive soils in relation to long-term cyclic moisture content changes in the subsoil
Summary
The main causes of geotechnical failures, which are related to changes in groundwater conditions, include [1]: leakage of water mains and sewage systems, lowering of groundwater table, as well as water-induced shrinkage and swelling of expansive soils. Those types of failures comprise approximately 25-30% of all recorded cases. The paper presents selected case studies of structural failures, which causes could be traced back to the changes in groundwater conditions, occurring during the use of the structures These cases, based on the description of underlying conditions and soil characteristics, provide a reference, as a lesson learnt, of potential problems to be considered when planning new investments
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