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Old 01-24-2010, 07:38 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX via San Antonio, TX
9,850 posts, read 13,693,812 times
Reputation: 5702

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Paka View Post
I looked at Google map and not sure, but is this that neighborhood that sits up on the cliff behind the HEB there on Bandara Road that they built a few years back where they just stripped the entire area down to the rock???

Anyone that saw that area that I am speaking of (but don't know the name of) would certainly remember...kinda looked like a quarry when they were preping (destroying) the area...all the dirt, trees, everything was scrapped down to the rock level.

If so, they must have piled a LOT of dirt to get it to shift like that. It sure appeared to be all rock from the view headed down 1604.
I've driven back there (by accident trying to get to the library) and it is super desolate. It almost looks like a new development in Arizona or California where they xeroscape everything. It makes me very happy to think of my house that was built in the 1970s is still standing on solid green ground.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Deep Forest View Post
The reporter for Channel 12 News is tweeting that the slope is moving about 1" every fifteen minutes...yikes !!!
Jennifer Dodd also explained that they've reclassified the event from a sink hole to slop failure. Twitter / Jennifer: #sinkhole is now officiall ...
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Old 01-24-2010, 08:07 PM
 
Location: San Antonio, TX
8,399 posts, read 22,985,488 times
Reputation: 4435
Quote:
Originally Posted by ashbeeigh View Post
Jennifer Dodd also explained that they've reclassified the event from a sink hole to slop failure. Twitter / Jennifer: #sinkhole is now officiall ...
That's what I have been saying...

Quote:
Originally Posted by majormadmax View Post
Correction, I just watched the KENS 5 video on this and it is indeed a landslide and not a "sinkhole." It appears the 40' retaining wall is failing causing the problem, and that CENTAX is responsible. I see some serious lawsuits as a result of this...as it does not appear "fixable" based on what I can see. Also, CENTEX's handling of the problem previously (simply filling cracks in the retaining wall) is ridiculous, those are indications of much bigger issues and was improperly handled.
But it's not a "slope failure" either, what failed was the retaining wall, which is causing a landslide. This man-made feature to hold up the earth is no able to withstand the pressure behind it, thus the tiered effect created by all the dirt is being leveling out thanks to natural forces. A properly-built wall could have prevented this from happening, but obviously this one was not constructed to the necessary level...
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Old 01-24-2010, 08:08 PM
 
Location: Austin
1,690 posts, read 3,617,197 times
Reputation: 1115
Quote:
slop failure.
Uh, what's a slop failure - like sloppy work on the retaining wall or something to do with a slope?
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Old 01-24-2010, 08:21 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX via San Antonio, TX
9,850 posts, read 13,693,812 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by majormadmax View Post
That's what I have been saying...

I probably should change it to sloppy failure since it looks to be a problem with the retaining all (as we've said). The aftermath will be interesting.
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Old 01-24-2010, 08:25 PM
 
Location: San Antonio, TX
8,399 posts, read 22,985,488 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ashbeeigh View Post
I probably should change it to sloppy failure since it looks to be a problem with the retaining all (as we've said). The aftermath will be interesting.
Actually, that is probably the best description of the situation...
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Old 01-24-2010, 09:15 PM
 
1,366 posts, read 4,487,306 times
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OMG!!! this is the first I am hearing of this and reading it ... As many people know DH and I moved back in Oct. 2008 into a Centex neighborhood heading out to Boerne ---

This is sooo shocking to me because dh and I were looking at one of those lots in particular for a very, very long time ... we were looking specifically at the corner lot overlooking the football stadium and then we were looking at other lots down the street but still on the cliff/slope ... dh and i met on several occasions with the salesman for that neighborhood and we even walked the lot and coned it out as to where the house would sit ...

I just never felt comfortable with that retaining wall, the cliff, the location, etc ... i kept telling dh "yeah, it's a beautiful view, but what's gonna happen if that wall ever gives out" ... at the time dh thought i was being dramatic and the salesman assured me that would never happen ...

We went back to the office with intent on putting money down for the lot but something just kept nagging me and I just didn't feel right about the whole thing, hence our decision on where we are currently located ...

My heart goes out to all the families affected --- per the news right now 80 families have been evacuated ... I shudder to think that we could have easliy been one of those 80 ...
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Old 01-24-2010, 09:18 PM
 
18,129 posts, read 25,278,015 times
Reputation: 16835
Quote:
Originally Posted by majormadmax View Post
But it's not a "slope failure" either, what failed was the retaining wall, which is causing a landslide. This man-made feature to hold up the earth is no able to withstand the pressure behind it, thus the tiered effect created by all the dirt is being leveling out thanks to natural forces. A properly-built wall could have prevented this from happening, but obviously this one was not constructed to the necessary level...
Uhh boy,
that means that there's a possibility that it is the city's fault.
If Centex has a document from the city saying that the retaining wall would hold those houses... we are going to be paying those lawsuits.

I've never been in that area, but where I grew up, there's a lot of mountains, landslides and retaining walls.
If that area is already sliding and it has houses on it... maybe they can stop it, but I guarantee that they won't be able to fix the houses.
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Old 01-24-2010, 09:21 PM
 
Location: Austin
1,690 posts, read 3,617,197 times
Reputation: 1115
Quote:
at the time dh thought i was being dramatic and the salesman assured me that would never happen ...
No, you are not dramatic, you are very smart. I think you should consider a career as a civil engineer.
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Old 01-24-2010, 09:22 PM
RGJ
 
1,903 posts, read 4,733,223 times
Reputation: 855
It should, and probably will, go back to either the engineer, site contractor, or retaining wall contractor....
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Old 01-24-2010, 09:28 PM
 
1,366 posts, read 4,487,306 times
Reputation: 1494
Quote:
Originally Posted by zhugeliang1 View Post
No, you are not dramatic, you are very smart. I think you should consider a career as a civil engineer.
actually, i worked for a number of years as a Flood Insurance Specialist, selling Flood insurance thru FEMA ... in learning all the ins and outs of the policy we covered in length sinkholes, landslides, etc ... this is the info that kept going thru my mind everything we drove out to look at the lots ...

I was also an Auto Claims Adjuster and I was also a Commercial Insurance Sales Rep. ... needless to say I look at the liability aspect of everything ... dh hates it, but in this instance my instincts were correct ...
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