Made In China

 (Click on pics to enlarge).

I am indebted to Byter Arthur for sending me an email of a building in Shanghai which collapsed. It is a true story.

The collapse of the 13 storey block of flats happened in June 2009. The building was still unoccupied but one worker was killed in the collapse.

China's official news agency, Xinhua, said officials were taking "appropriate control measures" against nine people, including the developer, construction contractor and supervisor of the project after it was reported that the company's construction licence had expired in 2004.

The collapse caused many purchasers of flats in other buildings in the same complex to demand their money back.

Much of the blame is attributed to the cutting of corners in a period of a building boom.

This is how it happened:

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

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

(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.

(5) 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.

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The building began to tilt.

Then it began to shift and the "hollow" concrete pilings were snapped due to the uneven lateral pressures.