Experts also advised that structural audit of the adjacent building be carried out and sand bags be immediately placed near the adjacent building to avoid further damage.
Experts like structural engineers and architects say the Wadala cave-in incident is an eye-opener for Mumbai, but they also say that builders don't have to go far to find a solution. While the developer (Dosti) in a statement blamed the rains for the cave in, there were also talks that shore piling or shoring meant to support when excavation work is carried out might have given way.
Experts also advised that structural audit of the adjacent building be carried out and sand bags be immediately placed near the adjacent building to avoid further damage.
Satish Dhupelia, a leading structural engineer, said that it is difficult to say what could have caused the cave-in, but I think perhaps the shore piling may have given way. "Shore piling is a temporary arrangement, carried out during excavation work. Shoring helps the soil and earth to remain beneath.
Whenever there is a excavation work being carried out, shoring is mandatory. Here, it appears, some shoring might have given way. We have had similar incidents in Mumbai even before. Proper shoring is necessary to carry out excavation work anywhere. However, it is difficult to state the exact cause by seeing some pictures," said Dhupelia.
While the exact reason is still unknown, Mumbai is also facing heavy rainfall since Saturday evening.
According to former President of Practicing Engineers Architects and Town Planners Association, Manoj Daisaria, anyone carrying excavation below 10 feet should make it mandatory to carry out shore piling.
"The whole design has to be done well. Here, they had gone deep, and one will have to check whether the shoring was done properly or not. Shoring is very important when it comes to excavations, and proper shoring. Plus, the continuous rains may have caused the soil to flow. The reason could be anything, but when it comes to underground excavation, one can learn from the ongoing metro work. The underground metro work has gone beyond 20-24 metre and they have done proper shoring, along with cross braces, in spite of continuous traffic it has held the ground," said Daisara.
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