Bolderdash: Buying an apartment in China?

Landslide Hazards Program

Landslides constitute a major geologic hazard because they are widespread, occur in all 50 states and U.S. territories, and cause $1-2 billion in damages and more than 25 fatalities on average each year. Expansion of urban and recreational developments into hillside areas leads to more people that are threatened by landslides each year. Landslides commonly occur in connection with other major natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanoes, wildfires, and floods.

The primary objective of the National Landslide Hazards Program (LHP) is to reduce long-term losses from landslide hazards by improving our understanding of the causes of ground failure and suggesting mitigation strategies.

The LHP has operated since the mid-1970's in gathering information, conducting research, responding to emergencies and disasters, and producing scientific reports and other products for a broadly based user community including geologists and engineers in government, academia and private practice, planners and decision makers from governmental entities at all levels, and the general public.

The results of these efforts have led to significant improvements in understanding the nature and scope of ground-failure problems nationally and worldwide. Such improvements are central to the role of the program, because opportunities remain for fundamental advances in understanding that promise to save lives and dollars.

Tuesday, 26 January 2010

Buying an apartment in China?

Reposted from my title blog.
Lesson one in buying an apartment in China : make sure the building has a foundation.

YES, IT IS A 13 STORY BUILDING LYING ON THE GROUND.

(1) An underground garage was being dug on the south side, to a depth of 4.6 meters

(2) The excavated dirt was being piled up on the north side, to a height of 10 meters

(3) The building experienced uneven lateral pressure from south and north

(4) This resulted in a lateral pressure of 3,000 tonnes, which was greater than what the pilings could tolerate.

Thus the building toppled over in the southerly direction.

First, the apartment building was constructed

Then the plan called for an underground garage to be dug out.

The excavated soil was piled up on the other side of the building.

Heavy rains resulted in water seeping into the ground..

The building began to shift and the concrete pilings were snapped
due to the uneven lateral pressures.

The building began to tilt.

And thus came the eighth wonder of the world.

If the buildings were closer together there would also have been a domino effect.

They built 13 stories on grade, with no basement, and tied it all down to hollow pilings with no re-bar.

Brought to you by the same folks that make your kids' toys, who want to build your car and are currently flooding our retail arena with extremely cheap produce...