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LateralThinkerer t1_iuild09 wrote

Reply to comment by Steelyp in Wet spot and crack in foundation after heavy rain by madstar

Wait until you find out about expansive soils: https://youtu.be/SW-NoiM726U

TL;DR some soils expand/contract with water content and can cause havoc. Get some long gutter spouts.

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Ivebeenfurthereven t1_iuiy77i wrote

A big restoration project I'm working on has a 2.2 mile tunnel under a big hill. By far the most difficult civil engineering challenge is the layers of soft clay it passes through.

Canals inevitably leak a bit. This type of clay expands when wet. You can imagine the resultant chaos as the entire tunnel is slowly crushed by the earth around it.

With modern engineering, there must be a way, but hydraulic forces in the soil are not to be underestimated.

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