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.IIM_TRTUM & RSSOCIRTES TEE~713-995-7191 <br />Fill ~No. • 988 OS/25 '95 08 ~44 1D ~t9~ENJER <br />8ti Associates, <br />May 24.95 2217 Nn.013 P.OS <br />13037934551 • PAGE 5 <br />We made an attempt to expose. a portion of the foundation <br />system by excavating outside the house. Ow efforts were <br />1•hwwrto[i by the vresence of numamus, Hghtly packod rocks <br />below the grade next to the foundation. <br />PRELIMINARY CONCLLI&IONB <br />The locations, geometry and orientation of the distress within the house <br />strongly suggest that the east and south walls sre rotating away from the rest <br />of the structural framing. It appears that the foundation systems beneath <br />these two walls have subsided. The magnitude of the subsidence does not <br />appear to be particularly subatanriai. iwwcrc., ~:es ~ :.::::y :~*~t!e <br />.~ movement of the foundation would be taagn[fled in the movements and <br />mdtttonc of the framing and bearing:walls above. <br />If the residence was a conventional, wood-framed house, these relatively <br />small movements might have been easily acoommodsted without significant <br />distress. However, adobe construction !e Inherently incapable of resisting or <br />accommodating such movements. and will,. in fact, provide a dear and <br />pronounced mnnlfestatlon of even minor subeidenos. <br />Uuring our site inspection, we did not discern that the current distress is <br />merely the latest menifestatlon Hof a long-term subsidence problem. Rather, <br />the movements and distress appeared to .be a fairly recent and isolated <br />OcC1LrrCI~~e. Tlic L.atir}ls~~-lts~eo~ ~d Fouw~wHono w*w oFili ralaHttoly AfLUprC.- <br />plumb and true. <br />It !s our understanding that the distress within the house began to develop <br />shortly after the property was purchased !n 1988. Based upon a compailson <br />with other descrlptlotu of dlstress.and photographs taken in 1998, !t appears <br />that the movements may have diminished or abated !n recent months. <br />We understand that other investigators have concluded .that su;face <br />movements due to recent coal mine subsidence era a likely reason for much <br /> <br />Ma. Ann Tatum <br />jlm Tatuat 6c Associates <br />May z~, i99s <br />Page 4 <br />