Property owners need to be especially vigilant if they live in an area prone to sinkholes. They should check frequently for small holes in the ground or cracks in a structure's foundation. If you live in an area with soluble rock, check local and state geological surveys for more information about a specific area. If a sinkhole appears that is directly threatening a house or structure, get out immediately. Report the problem to emergency personnel as well as to a building inspector, and wait for an inspection to find out if it is safe to return.
If a sinkhole occurs in the middle of the road, contact local law enforcement agencies. The area should be cordoned off immediately. But, if the sinkhole is not impacting a house or other structure, and if it is a manageable size—1 to 3 feet in both diameter and depth—then it can be filled in.
This process will be carried out through various techniques of injection grouting that are appropriate to the situation. Depending on geological conditions surrounding the hole, many different geotechnical approaches could be called upon.
But in every case, the goal is to find or create a solid support underneath whatever is on the surface, including ground cover, homes, or buildings. If the affected area is large, you may want to hire a landscaping or drainage company to do the work. This case is the least common and also the most dangerous. Homes were built in some areas before public utilities were provided, so the owners had wells, septic systems, cisterns and buried fuel oil tanks which were left unused when public utilities came to the area.
Abandoned wells and cisterns were sometimes backfilled before they were abandoned. Without maintenance, these former utilities can deteriorate and collapse, causing a sinkhole. It usually is not possible to determine the exact cause without excavation, but pieces of the old utility are sometimes visible within the sink hole. A ring of bricks is often indicative of an old well; rusting metal can be a remnant of a cistern or fuel tank.
The cavity caused by any of these can be hazardous, particularly for a child. It may be large, collapse easily, and it could contain rusted metal or contaminants such as fuel. If the collapse of one of these structures is suspected, you should get professional assistance. If you believe there is an abandoned well or cistern on your property, call the County Health Department at , TTY For fuel tanks or other potentially contaminated sites, you may call the Health Department to see if any help is available, but you will likely need to contact an environmental remediation company.
What is a Sinkhole? Choose One: Where is the Sinkhole? Sinkholes Near Outside Walls or Under Stairs Sinkholes occurring near outside walls or under outdoor staircases usually develop because the soil along the structure was poorly compacted. Tips for Filling in the Sinkhole Clean the area. Remove any trash, grass or other debris from the depression. Try to determine the extent of the hole by careful excavation and probing Incrementally fill the depression with fill soil that has a high amount of clay and low amount of sand.
Do not use gravel or rock as a fill material. If you do, water will trickle through the gaps in the gravel and create an even deeper cavity underneath.
Shovel a few inches of the fill soil into the bottom of the depression and compact it thoroughly with a soil tamper. Continue this process until the depression is flush with the ground. You may want to overfill the hole since the fill soil may compact and settle over time. Remember to make sure the land slopes away from the foundation so that water does not pool next to foundation walls.
Allow the area to sit for a month or two to ensure that a new sinkhole does not form. Before planting, you may want to lay down a few inches of topsoil or potting soil above the filled area.
Topsoil can help you establish vegetation. Plant seeds or use your choice of landscaping. Sinkholes Under Sidewalks Sinkholes under sidewalks or walkways.
Concrete under pressure can be pumped under the sunken section of the sidewalk until it rises to the normal level. This process is called concrete slab jacking and a professional concrete company is required.
Outreach Initiatives. All rights reserved. Educator's Guide. Sinkhole Repair.
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