The gigantic hole 15 meters long and 30 meters deep that threatened the stability of the construction and forced the rapid evacuation of the Euromarina II building in Reñacathe most exclusive spa in Viña del Marturned the dream of the owners who chose that bucolic landscape as a summer resort or as a permanent residence into a nightmare.
In recent days, the rains that affected Chile aggravated the situation in that dune area and deepened the fear that the excess water could end up causing the structure to collapse.
Thus, the intense storms, the result of the El Niño phenomenon or the effects of climate change, ended up agreeing with the specialists and structural engineers who had warned about the enormous risks of building in that place, once a sanctuary of nature. .
The most widespread explanation for the sudden appearance of sinkholes is due to the washing of strata as a result of rainwater that works as a lubricant that facilitates the glide and by the capacity of rainwater collectors, which have not been able to handle the additional flow generated by new construction.
A possible solution to avoid collapse
Luis Jauriguiberry, a geophysical geodesist engineer with extensive experience in the field of large structural constructions, explained to MDZ that, in this case, “we are facing a landslide, not a sinkhole.” “The material moved due to erosion caused by water, which slid the base of the land, causing the collapse.”
The specialist considered as optimal the decision of the engineers working in the emergency to build a “plastic containment basin” to divert excess water from the rains and warned: “The drainage must be done through open ditches, away from the building, and from there to retarding ditches where the water loses energy.”
“The solution to this problem involves first carrying out a deep geological study whose results allow us to establish the use of stone mats, which are bags full of stones that are placed flat to prevent surface erosion,” he added.
“The procedure should start from the base of the landslide and move towards the top by installing gabions. Gabions are structures made up of woven wire boxes filled with stone, which are stacked from the base up to stabilize and contain the slide,” Jauriguiberry added.
“In addition,” the engineer concluded, “it is essential to divert the flow of rainwater with retarding ditches so that the water loses energy along its path and thus stops eroding the slope created by the landslide. Without this intervention, erosion will persist, worsening the problem over time.”
A dream development that could end in a nightmare
The Euromarina II, built in 2007, is a residential complex that houses 44 luxury buildings whose apartments can cost up to $500,000.
Last year, in August and September, two landslides affected the foundations of three other buildings: Kandinsky, Miramar-Reñaca and Santorini. As a result, the coastal road remains closed due to broken pavement.
