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<br /> <br />Potential causes of Subsidence of the Solitario Ranch House Page 2 <br />maintenance resulting in moisture intrusion to the structure, poor drainage, and <br />general aging." Further the authors discount the effects of underground mining <br />because of the lack of similar damage to the rest of the house. The investigation was <br />in depth, although no tests were conducted, and no explanation as to why the <br />problem was so recent, after confirming the house may be over 90 years old. <br />CONCLUSION <br />There are several potential causes of the damage to the house: poor drainage around <br />the foundations; changing of the ground water levels affecting the foundations, due <br />to underground mining; and subsidence due to the proximity of underground coal <br />mining. <br />• The house which is more than 90 years old has stood unaffected until about <br />1991. <br />• Site investigation does not confirm a recent change in drainage or other situation <br />that would suddenly cause drainage to be a problem. <br />• There is no data which can positively show that the water table has been <br />affected either up or down, but this still could be a factor. <br />• There is definitely the possibility of mine subsidence, and this subsidence could <br />have affected the stability of the house. <br />EVALUATION <br />This report does not detail the nature and extent of damage to the house, the. three <br />referenced reports are quite complete with this information and clearly note the fact <br />that damage has occurred. <br />Subsidence Due to Poor Drainage <br />I visited the Ranch 12/16/94, shortly after a heavy, wet snowstorm, which was <br />melting off. I saw no ponding of runoff water around the house, the basement was <br />dry except for the sump, the drainage around the house appeared to be adequate, <br />there are no seeps or springs north of the house from the stream terrace as there <br />are in other places along the terrace. There is no evidence of those conditions that <br />are reported to have contributed to subsidence, due to water in the soils around the <br />house. <br />S~°.bsidence Due to Lowering of the Local Water Table <br />Subsidence could have been caused by raising or lowering of the local water table, <br />and this could have been the result of underground mining. Water tables can be <br />lowered by the interconnection with mine workings as they are pumped out during <br />PIONEER ENGINEERING <br />