THE CASE
Steven P. Viani, P.E., was approached by a California homeowner with a 5-acre parcel that had become surrounded by residential development. Unfortunately for the homeowner, the neighboring developments were constructed on earth fills that were up to 20-feet tall. Shortly after construction of the fills, water intrusion onto the owner’s parcel occurred on both the surface and in the soil under the surface, which affected his landscaping, pool, trees and driveway.
EXPERT WATER INTRUSION REPAIR SERVICES
Steve was contracted to determine the cause of water and develop a solution to manage or eliminate the problem. He performed a topographic survey of the area, and it was discovered a perimeter gravity flow trench would be feasible. After gaining access to several of the surrounding properties, test pits were dug and the pits logged to determine soil and soil characteristics and establish the presence of water.
Groundwater was found at 2-3 feet below ground surface and was periodically monitored using a groundwater monitoring system. Steve designed a gravity perimeter drain that routed water away from trees and other improvements to a nearby drainage ditch. He assisted the owner with construction management and worked with the City to classify the work as landscaping, which eliminated building permits.
THE RESULTS
Steve’s knowledge of civil engineering principles allowed him to quickly determine the cause of the excess water and design a fix to correct the problem. His report was sufficient to settle the case and he was not deposed. The settlement was large enough to offset all construction costs to repair the damages.
