Sinkhole Incidents On the Rise

Ho Chi Minh City is going to take drastic measures to deal with dead holes on roads this monsoon season.

At the beginning of April, after several out of season storms, dead holes caused by sudden subsidence have again began to appear in the city, a situation which is likely to worsen when the rainy season begins in earnest.

Dead holes have regularly appeared in the city during the last decade, but this year has been notable for several incidents. The appearance of dead holes has become increasingly frequent following the construction of increasingly larger infrastructure construction, causing a danger to traffic.

According to the data released by the municipal Department of Transport, 64 dead holes were reported in 2010. That number increased to 100 in 2011. At the beginning of 2012, though the monsoon season has yet to start, several dead holes have already appeared.

The latest case happened on the afternoon of April 14 when a dead hole appeared at the Hong Bang-Ngo Quyen crossroads in District 5. In March, another hole appeared on Cach Mang Thang Tam Street in District 3. In February, two holes appeared at the crossroads of Pasteur-Han Thuyen in District 1 and on Ly Thuong Kiet Street in Tan Binh District.

To minimise road subsidence and maintain traffic safety in the city this rainy season, the department has required construction units to strictly supervise construction work.

The department also directed that the supervisory consultative groups were compulsory to be present at construction sites when constructing joints and re-surfacing roads, especially when covering geo-textile and embanking stones around manholes.

The agencies under the department were urged to seriously investigate these problems, ensuring that old infrastructure is not combined with new works, and that local drainage remains unimpeded. The inspections will also ensure that there are sufficiently safe barriers around deep holes and construction firms have been tasked with ensuring that they leave sites entirely safe on finishing.

Also, all construction units were required to quickly check the joints among underground drainage pipes to detect potential leaks or blockages.

Unused underground drainage pipes also need to be checked regularly and secured if necessary. Concrete and cement may be pumped into pipes to ensure road subsidence does not occur.

If construction units and supervisory consultative groups don’t carry out these requirements and later incidents occur, strict sanctions will be applied.

Ground subsidence widespread in Beijing

A road collapse in Beijing in 2011. (Photo/CFP)

By the end of 2010, 2,475 square km, or one third of the Beijing plain, had dropped by more than 200 mm, reports the 21st Century Business Herald newspaper in Guangzhou.

Sinking took place in five districts of the city, including Changping, Chaoyang, Shunyi, Tongzhou, and Daxing, said Lu Xiaojian, vice chief of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Geological Survey and Mines.

Lu attributed the subsidence to over pumping ground water, which constitutes two thirds of the water supply to the Chinese capital, to meet the demand of the rapidly swelling population of the city.

Beijing's ground subsidence can be divided into four phases, according to a 2004 report by Wang Ping from the China Institute of Geological Environment Monitoring. The first phase was from 1967-1973, when the ground shifted downwards by between several millimeters and 10 millimeters per year, while the second phase was from 1973 to 1981, when subsidence accelerated to more than 10 millimeters a year.

The third phase spanned 1981-1987, when the subsidence rate slowed down a little. The fourth was between 1987 and 2000, when subsidence spread from the city's downtown to its suburban districts.

After 2011, which is not covered in Wang's report, the rate of subsidence accelerated to twice that of between 1999 and 2005, the newspaper quoted an expert at the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Land and Resources as saying.

Ground subsidence could cause damage to the city, Lu Xiaojian told the newspaper. "We found that wherever there was subsidence, underground pipelines ruptured frequently," said Lu.

This also threatens the safety of railways, as a depression of a few millimeters can cause accidents along the city's eight subway lines and its one rapid transit line to the airport.

The last danger, which is also significant, is the possibility of cracks in the ground.

Since over-pumping of ground water is the root cause of subsidence, Dai Yuhua, an official from Beijing Water Authority, told the 21st Century Business Herald that the city was going to limit the drawing of ground water.

Dai said Beijing was building a pipeline to channel 1 billion cubic meters of water from Yangtze River a year. When that project is completed in 2014, wells drawing groundwater will be closed and part of the water from Yangtze River will be used to replenish the drained ground water in Beijing to reverse subsidence.

6-ft wide sinkhole blocks intersection

WSB-TV

ATLANTA —

Atlanta police are blocking off an area of northeast Atlanta where there's a large sinkhole.

The area near the intersection of East Sussex and Cumberland roads has been shut down. The sinkhole is 6 feet wide on top, 10 feet deep and spreads 20 feet wide.

Police said the sink hole was first reported to them just before 4 p.m. Thursday. Since then, a patrol officer has been assigned to the area around the clock.

Officers are concerned because the sinkhole is near Morningside Elementary School and Haygood Preschool, and some students walk to school. Channel 2’s Mark Arum suggested using Barclay Place to get around the area.

Police aren’t sure when repairs will begin.

Comment by bill on April 28, 2012 at 11:03am: HCM City targets end to dead holes

Ho Chi Minh City is going to take drastic measures to deal with dead holes on roads this monsoon season.

At the beginning of April, after several out of season storms, dead holes caused by sudden subsidence have again began to appear in the city, a situation which is likely to worsen when the rainy season begins in earnest.

Dead holes have regularly appeared in the city during the last decade, but this year has been notable for several incidents. The appearance of dead holes has become increasingly frequent following the construction of increasingly larger infrastructure construction, causing a danger to traffic.

According to the data released by the municipal Department of Transport, 64 dead holes were reported in 2010. That number increased to 100 in 2011. At the beginning of 2012, though the monsoon season has yet to start, several dead holes have already appeared.

The latest case happened on the afternoon of April 14 when a dead hole appeared at the Hong Bang-Ngo Quyen crossroads in District 5. In March, another hole appeared on Cach Mang Thang Tam Street in District 3. In February, two holes appeared at the crossroads of Pasteur-Han Thuyen in District 1 and on Ly Thuong Kiet Street in Tan Binh District.

To minimise road subsidence and maintain traffic safety in the city this rainy season, the department has required construction units to strictly supervise construction work.

The department also directed that the supervisory consultative groups were compulsory to be present at construction sites when constructing joints and re-surfacing roads, especially when covering geo-textile and embanking stones around manholes.

The agencies under the department were urged to seriously investigate these problems, ensuring that old infrastructure is not combined with new works, and that local drainage remains unimpeded. The inspections will also ensure that there are sufficiently safe barriers around deep holes and construction firms have been tasked with ensuring that they leave sites entirely safe on finishing.

Also, all construction units were required to quickly check the joints among underground drainage pipes to detect potential leaks or blockages.

Unused underground drainage pipes also need to be checked regularly and secured if necessary. Concrete and cement may be pumped into pipes to ensure road subsidence does not occur.
If construction units and supervisory consultative groups don’t carry out these requirements and later incidents occur, strict sanctions will be applied.

Comment by bill on April 28, 2012 at 11:03am: Ground subsidence widespread in Beijing

A road collapse in Beijing in 2011. (Photo/CFP)

By the end of 2010, 2,475 square km, or one third of the Beijing plain, had dropped by more than 200 mm, reports the 21st Century Business Herald newspaper in Guangzhou.

Sinking took place in five districts of the city, including Changping, Chaoyang, Shunyi, Tongzhou, and Daxing, said Lu Xiaojian, vice chief of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Geological Survey and Mines.

Lu attributed the subsidence to over pumping ground water, which constitutes two thirds of the water supply to the Chinese capital, to meet the demand of the rapidly swelling population of the city.

Beijing's ground subsidence can be divided into four phases, according to a 2004 report by Wang Ping from the China Institute of Geological Environment Monitoring. The first phase was from 1967-1973, when the ground shifted downwards by between several millimeters and 10 millimeters per year, while the second phase was from 1973 to 1981, when subsidence accelerated to more than 10 millimeters a year.

The third phase spanned 1981-1987, when the subsidence rate slowed down a little. The fourth was between 1987 and 2000, when subsidence spread from the city's downtown to its suburban districts.

After 2011, which is not covered in Wang's report, the rate of subsidence accelerated to twice that of between 1999 and 2005, the newspaper quoted an expert at the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Land and Resources as saying.

Ground subsidence could cause damage to the city, Lu Xiaojian told the newspaper. "We found that wherever there was subsidence, underground pipelines ruptured frequently," said Lu.

This also threatens the safety of railways, as a depression of a few millimeters can cause accidents along the city's eight subway lines and its one rapid transit line to the airport.

The last danger, which is also significant, is the possibility of cracks in the ground.

Since over-pumping of ground water is the root cause of subsidence, Dai Yuhua, an official from Beijing Water Authority, told the 21st Century Business Herald that the city was going to limit the drawing of ground water.

Dai said Beijing was building a pipeline to channel 1 billion cubic meters of water from Yangtze River a year. When that project is completed in 2014, wells drawing groundwater will be closed and part of the water from Yangtze River will be used to replenish the drained ground water in Beijing to reverse subsidence.

Comment by Howard on April 25, 2012 at 8:44pm: Video of sinkhole swallowing the aforementioned Chinese girl and her rescue. (March 2012)

Chinese state media say a teenage girl was rescued by a taxi driver after falling into a deep sinkhole that opened up on a city sidewalk near a school.

China Central Television aired footage Wednesday from a surveillance video that showed the teenager in a pink coat falling down the 6-metre (20-foot) hole in Xi'an city in central China last month.

Taxi driver Wang Wei told CCTV he witnessed the accident and climbed into the muddy sinkhole to rescue the unconscious teenager. Wang said he patted the girl to wake her up, then helped her climb to safety when firefighters lowered a ladder down to the pair.

The China Daily newspaper said in an earlier report the girl was taken to hospital for treatment and recovered.

Source

Comment by Howard on April 10, 2012 at 2:32am: Huge Sinkhole Swallows Backyard in Houston -

A sinkhole that swallowed up most of a homeowner's back yard a few weeks ago still has not been fixed.

The sinkhole, which is 40 feet wide, 15 feet deep and growing, opened up on Falloon near Donna Corey in March. It has taken down three trees and utility lines.

The hole was about 30 feet wide when KPRC Local 2 first took a look at it about three weeks ago. The station made a few phone calls Monday and crews finally showed up to work on the sinkhole.

"It scares me," neighbor Steve Mueller said. "I'm glad it isn't behind my house."

City of Houston crews said the sinkhole was caused by a collapsed storm drain.

Crews said it could take three weeks to a month to get the mess fixed.

Comment by Mark on March 29, 2012 at 11:44am: couple hear a rumble, then their kitchen falls into a hole as the foundations of the house collapse

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2121747/Young-couple-devast...

Comment by Mark on March 22, 2012 at 1:50pm: Sinkhole in sweden: http://www.nsd.se/nyheter/artikel.aspx?ArticleId=6802227

http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/sweeden-200-ft-wide-entran...

Comment by Howard on March 22, 2012 at 3:36am: Large Sinkhole Growing in Pennsylvania (March 19) -

Sinkhole Closes Road in Calgary (March 21) -

Sinkhole Develops in Downtown Columbia (March 21)

Comment by Mark on March 15, 2012 at 10:50am: Not quite a sinkhole but the same cause - supporting rock structure giving way:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2114912/White-Cliffs-Dover-...

Comment by Howard on March 12, 2012 at 2:06am: Some large sinkholes & land cracks since February 2012 -

Brazil/Colombia: earth fissure opened in Pitangui/activated geological fault in Tobo
http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/brazil-colombia-earth-fiss...
Courtesy of Andrey Eroshin

China: Land subsidence causes panic in Hefei
http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/china-land-subsidence-caus...
Courtesy of Khan

China: on south for the last week have become more frequent cases of land collapses and stretchings
http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/china-2
Courtesy of Andrey Eroshin

China: Cave-ins create hundreds of holes in Hunan Province (Feb 26)
http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/china-cave-ins-create-hund...
Courtesy of Khan

Spain: massive chasm opened near of zone Rostrío, Santander (Feb 23)
http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/spain
Courtesy of Andrey Eroshin

Land subsidence hits 50 cities in China !! (Feb 22)
http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/land-subsidence-hits-50-ci...
Courtesy of Khan

Philippines: ‘Soil still moving, cracks forming in sinkhole area’/Republic of Korea: A large sinkhole in Incheon. (Feb 20)
http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/philippines-the-ground-con...
Courtesy of Khan

Mexico/ China: deep sinkholes depth of 40 meters in Matamoros and Zhejiang (Feb 12)
http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/mexico-china-deep-sinkhole...
Courtesy of Andrey Eroshin

Turkey: Black sea coastal highway collapse, Hatay airport flooded (Feb 1)
http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/turkey-black-sea-coastal-h...
Courtesy of Andrey Eroshin

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on March 2, 2012 at 2:56pm: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/6-ft-wide-sink-hole-blocks-int...

Posted: 5:59 a.m. Friday, March 2, 2012

6-ft wide sinkhole blocks intersection

WSB-TV

ATLANTA —

Atlanta police are blocking off an area of northeast Atlanta where there's a large sinkhole.

The area near the intersection of East Sussex and Cumberland roads has been shut down. The sinkhole is 6 feet wide on top, 10 feet deep and spreads 20 feet wide.

Police said the sink hole was first reported to them just before 4 p.m. Thursday. Since then, a patrol officer has been assigned to the area around the clock.

Officers are concerned because the sinkhole is near Morningside Elementary School and Haygood Preschool, and some students walk to school. Channel 2’s Mark Arum suggested using Barclay Place to get around the area.

Police aren’t sure when repairs will begin.

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