Before the end of 2016, will the City of Ottawa officially state that LRT construction was responsible for the recent Rideau Street sinkhole?
Yes: 25%
(If the city officially rules out LRT construction, that counts as a No. "Partial responsibility" counts)
There has been some speculation that the Rideau Street sinkhole was caused by LRT construction (see articles here and here). The cause has not yet been determined, but LRT construction was going on in the area. Officials have said LRT construction is unlikely to be the cause, but it has not been ruled out.
The water pipe break was caused by tunneling in known broken rock. The tunnel opening shifted the broken rock above the opening and below the water pipe.
ReplyDeleteA small leak developed with water and loose rock flowing to the tunnel. No one noticed the small water inflow in the tunnel. The void under the water pipe got bigger as more water and broken rock flowed to the tunnel.
The pipe then burst because there was no broken rock and sand to support the pipe. Major inflow into the LRT tunnel started and resulted in a large void next to the water pipe. Then part of Rideau street 'sunk'.