Analysis of damage to structures as a result of soil suffusion. (February 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ślusarek, Jan; Łupieżowiec, Marian
• Is Part Of: Engineering failure analysis. Volume 120(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-02
• Subjects: Soil -- Filtration in the ground -- Suffusion in the ground; System failures (Engineering) -- Periodicals; Fracture mechanics -- Periodicals; Reliability (Engineering) -- Periodicals; Pannes -- Périodiques; Rupture, Mécanique de la -- Périodiques; Fiabilité -- Périodiques; Fracture mechanics; Reliability (Engineering); System failures (Engineering); Periodicals; Electronic journals; 620.112
• DOI: 10.1016/j.engfailanal.2020.105058
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1350-6307

Abstract

Highlights: Lack of proper drainage of water around the objects may cause the phenomenon of suffusion. Suffusions can cause damage to building structures. Settlements of foundations due to suffusion can be described by a simple model. The tightness of the soil medium is one of the most important factors determining the course of suffusion. Abstract: The article presents problems involving the impact of uncontrolled soil moisture on the characteristics of soil ground and, consequently, on the entire building structure. The article investigates problems related to the phenomenon of suffusion. The authors analyzed several characteristic consequences of the phenomenon. All the cases were documented by photographs included in the paper. The authors attempted to analyze the reasons for the current state of all analyzed objects. The task was not easy, because in many of these cases, no detailed documentation was available. It was also not possible to access the geological and soil documentation pertaining to the area of those building structures. The authors attempted to model the phenomenon of suffusion. The results of particle size testing of different soil samples were used for that purpose. The developed suffusion model was verified based on the analysis of the hypothetical soil behavior, containing various amounts of fine particles. It was demonstrated that in many of the analyzed cases, large subsidence of soil ground may occur. In addition, failure mode of the analyzed, hypothetical wall was proposed, assuming that it is exposed to subsidence effected by suffusion. The detailed analysis of internal forces in the wall, carried out for various computational situations, demonstrated that the estimated values of soil subsidence can provide explanation of wall scratches and cracks observed in the analyzed buildings.