The Liquefaction-Collapse Sinkhole Formation and Assessment of Its Danger to Buildings and Structures

• Published in: Doklady earth sciences Vol. 507; no. Suppl 1; pp. S192 - S198
• Main Authors: Khomenko, V. P., Krinochkina, O. K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01.12.2022; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Analysis; Buildings; Cohesion; Cohesionless soils; Collapse; Deformation; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Earth surface; Geoecology; Groundwater; Groundwater levels; Karst; Liquefaction; Real property; Rocks; Saturated soils; Shock loading; Sinkholes; Soil; Soil dynamics; Soil water; Structures; Unsaturated soils; Valuation; Water flow; Water, Underground; prediction; piping; liquefaction; karst; sinkhole; collapse
• ISSN: 1028-334X; 1531-8354
• DOI: 10.1134/S1028334X22601614

A poorly studied genetic type of sinkhole formation, which is typical for areas where karstified rocks are covered by water-saturated or unsaturated cohesionless soils is considered. The saturated soils can be underlain by an impermeable bed. The occurrence of single (and sometimes numerous) liquefaction-collapse sinkholes on the earth’s surface or under the foundation in these geological settings can be caused by the dissolution of soluble rocks, the sudden occurrence of a breach in the impermiable bed, a dynamic or shock loading on water-saturated incoherent cohesionless soils, and the development of vertical upward water flow in cohesionless soils. The latter trigger is often manifested as the recovery of lowered groundwater level due to pumping of karst water. In built-up areas, this can lead to deformation and even destruction of buildings and structures by liquefaction-collapse sinkhole formation. The study of this phenomenon by in-laboratory simulation modeling had shown that these sinkholes are the result of upward-extending piping-collapse failures of soils, in which soil liquefaction plays a significant role. Concepts of the triggers and mechanisms of this process have been proposed. On its basis, the theoretical predictive approaches have been developed. They allow predicting the possibility of liquefaction-collapse sinkhole formation and the size of the sinkhole, taking into consideration the parameters of the engineering structures under threat.