Just another day at work....hole swallows Jeep

[Goatman]

Here's what happend at work yesterday.

Here's a link to the story:
http://www.bakersfield.com/top/story/4287371p-4298773c.html

A ZJ on the street was the first to start sinking in, then it collapsed across our lot and swallowed the F250 and an F350. I saw the trucks fall in, and was standing right there as one of our emplyees drove right into the hole before anyone could stop her. It was a strange afternoon at work. We lost our water, and the street had to be closed down. It's weird that something like this happens and hits the national news. Some of the guys were teasing me that I should get my Jeep and drive in a back out. I told them I've had Jeeps in tougher spots than that.

Seeing a crane lift out the slightly customized F350 4x4 crewcab dually 6.0 Powerstroke by it's front two hooks was an amazing sight. $55,000 worth of truck hanging vertical in the air on a cable......what a sight. The black F250 was in the water in the bottom of the ditch, and the front was full of mud and water, but it started right up and we drove it away after the crane lifted it out.

A canal goes under the corner of our display lot and the street next to us, through a 12' steel conduit. Installed 31 years ago, the top of the conduit had rusted through and the dirt above it had been collapsing into the water, until someone finally fell through. Now the city is working 24/7 to re-construct a concrete conduit.

Just another day at the car lot.....

 

[Lincoln]

I think that must have been caused by that high power wallet vacuum.

If we get a bunch of dry years it's not uncommon to get sink holes around here. About 10 miles from my parents (back in the 50's) they lost a house in a sink hole and in the early 90's about 150' of the canyon sluffed off in one spot and about 1/4 mile in another.

It's amazing how quick a hole can open up no matter what caused it.

Lincoln

 

[RichP]

Back in the 1700's and earlier Northern NJ was big into iron mining, my town, Ironia, had hundreds of hand dug mines, mines that were dug straight down. Some were filled in I guess as they played out, no records kept. I guess alot were boarded over about 100ft or so down before they were filled in and we used to hear of them opening up all the time. The next town over, Mine Hill was just as bad if not worse and after looking at the areas I used to hunt as a kid they have built condo's, homes and big townhouses in areas where the 'pit's' have sunk down, we used to have to walk around them. I remember one year, around 67 or so when a barn dissapeared one nite complete with horses, house foundations sinking and cracking were common.

 

[ChiXJeff]

The Keweenaw Peninsula up in Lake Superior is the only place on Earth where you find natural pure copper.

All of the mines have long since closed down, but sinkholes still occasionally open up at construction sites. A few bulldozers have disappeared.

20 years ago, a bunch of the old mine entrances were finally boarded up. The bats no longer had a place to stay. Made life interesting over the summer.

 

[imma honky]

Damn that sucks. Does everyone have to bite the bullet on damage or is there going to be a little compensation?

 

[Lupine]

Yo G,

Are you telling me you didn't take that obstacle? I would have paid $$$ to see pix of THAT.

 

[Goatman]

Yeah, the guys we trying to get me to drive in and back out.

Don't think I'd have done too well in loose, undercut dirt......unless I drove on top of the vehicles.

The city owns the canal, and they are taking responsibility for everything. It's amazing how quickly they have moved on this repair project. This happened Thursday afternoon. They have already, in three days (as of this afternoon), excavated a 30' wide by 200' long trench, dug out all the old conduit and slop from the water (about 25' deep), refilled with sand and gravel, laid the rebar bottom and sides for an 8' x 10' boxed concret culvert, and poured the first 150' of the bottom. This was after diverting the sewer and water, and dealing with electric and our fiber optic phone line. They have also dug out about half of the next 150 feet, including building a retaining wall out of large steel I-beams to protect a brand new building that is 6' from the trench across the street from our lot. I have never seen a government project progress so fast. They are working two 12 hour shifts around the clock, and two city inspectors are also working 12 hour shifts so they are there continually until the job is finished. They say it will be a mil and a half to rebuild about 350' of underground culvert.

It's kind of fun to watch.

 

[woody]

At least it wasnt a new volcano...

That could get pricey in a hurry...

Wondering the timeframe on the failure?

did the cuvert just 'unzip' ??? From the street to the lot? or from the lot to the street? Either way, I'd hate to be the PE that penned off on that last inspection...

 

[Goatman]

Re: At least it wasnt a new volcano...

That could get pricey in a hurry...

Wondering the timeframe on the failure?

did the cuvert just 'unzip' ??? From the street to the lot? or from the lot to the street? Either way, I'd hate to be the PE that penned off on that last inspection...

The ZJ in the street fell through first, then it sort of unzipped across the curb and sidewalk and across our lot. It took about four to five minutes for the whole thing to open up......about 150 feet.

It was a coated steel corrigated steel conduit under dirt, and it rusted through on the top and washed away. There was water running through, and the conduit was open at the top when it fell in. The car that drove into the whole and the front of one of the trucks were in the water at the bottom. The conduit was put in 30 years ago, in 1973.

Unfortunately for the city, there are four other places that have the same conduit that go under roads, but ours is the oldest. All are going to have to be changed, and they are all under busy four lane streets. Ouch!!

Where the canal goes under the four lane street in front of our lot, it's already a concret culvert, the steel started about 10' inside of our property.

 

[CRASH]

Seeing a crane lift out the slightly customized F350 4x4 crewcab dually 6.0 Powerstroke by it's front two hooks was an amazing sight.

Those tow hooks are officially West Coast Approved.

CRASH

 

[mil thornton (GRNT)]

Now your in my world of work

I've seen these old steel pipes do this before. One reason why everything is done in concrete now.
I'm not surprised at the speed of which they are moving. With your down time at the dealer, they don't want to get into a down time issue probably.
It's amazing what can be done when government wants to really get something done. A concrete box like your describing is pretty straight forward and they probably already had a set of plans for it drawn up. They were just waiting for money to build it.
Give it to a good inspector and a good contractor and they can get it done quickly.

Glad no one was injured in the collapse.
GRNT

 

[Erik]

Hey Richard, are you sure that's a ZJ, or maybe a WJ? If it's a WJ I sure could use the steering knuckles, calipers and rotors, tie rod, drag link, etc...

 

[Goatman]

Hey Richard, are you sure that's a ZJ, or maybe a WJ? If it's a WJ I sure could use the steering knuckles, calipers and rotors, tie rod, drag link, etc...

I guess it was a WJ. You'll have to contact the insurance company, it didn't look good. They pulled it out by busting out the windows and running cables under the roof front to back.

So, looks like the front end is your winter project?

 

[Erik]

So, looks like the front end is your winter project?

Yeah, I'm still trying to pay off the "summer" project, but with Feb. just a few months away it's looking like a very short winter indeed. The WJ disks are my priority, but since I need to swap out at least my UCA's it's a good time to look at J or mid arms also. Of course if I wanted to hang up on every obstacle I could go long arm. Or if I wanted to stall on every obstacle, I could swap in a man trans. Or......, ah but if I did all that, I'd just have to change my name to Andy.

 

[Lupine]

Nah, all you need is a few good friends, some tunes, and lots of beer. Not so much that you screw up the wiring in the tailights, but just enough to keep up with me.

 

[Jes]

Not so much that you screw up the wiring in the tailights

For the record I had nothing to do with that.

Jes