Water From the Ground Up: Its Effect on Soil and the Built Environment

Relates to Legal subject: Water is a major culprit in the damage of buildings, roads, and other structures. Understanding the types of damages that water can cause, how water causes these damages, and how to quantify water’s contribution to these damages can help attorneys in cases involving damages due to water.

1. Introduction:
1. Water and soil
   1. How do they interact?
   2. What are possible damages to structures?
2. Water and the built-environment
   1. What damage can it cause?
   2. How does it get in?
   3. How do you measure it?
2. Water and Soil
1. Expansive Soil
2. Soil Collapse
3. Ground Water Rise
4. Ground Water Drop
5. Soil erosion
6. Soil Piping
7. Liquefaction during an earthquake
3. Damage to Structures from Water
   1. Swelling
   2. Shrinkage
   3. Staining
   4. Wood deterioration
   5. Mold
4. Ingredients for Mold Growth (Water, Food Source, Temperature)
5. Sources of Water that may Cause Damage to Buildings
   1. Exterior Moisture
      1. Exterior to building envelope
      2. Precipitation
      3. Surface/subsurface drainage
      4. Flooding
   2. Interior Moisture
      1. Bathrooms
      2. Kitchens
      3. People
      4. Plants
      5. Faulty Plumbing
   3. Built in Moisture
      1. Fresh concrete
      2. Lightweight floor toppings
      3. Green lumber
      4. Wet-applied insulations
      5. Materials wetted during construction
6. Measuring Water
1. Qualitative measurement
2. Meters
3. Moisture domes
4. Sampling and laboratory testing