Abu Dhabi, 12th April 2010 (WAM) -- The Municipality of Abu Dhabi City has recently endorsed a set of procedures and recommendations made by a committee assigned to study the soil properties of Abu Dhabi City and suburban areas comprising experts and specialists from the Municipality and the Environment Authority.
The committee identified the extent of damage caused, assessed the current situation, and established the natural causes underlying the subsidence in some areas and suburbs of Abu Dhabi City. It stressed the need for carrying out preliminary soil tests to verify that it conforms to the stipulations and standards set by the Municipality, and complies with the specifications set for buildings at areas in which soil defects are detected. The Municipality has set up a committee headed by Engineer Yousef Abdul Rahman Al Marzouqi, Director of Spatial Data Division, to identify the affected buildings, classify them in terms of damage sustained, and institute rectification in accordance with the specialty of each competent body, while providing a healthy environment for citizens and residents. Meanwhile the Municipality, in cooperation and coordination with both Abu Dhabi Electricity and Water Authority, and Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company, is continuing efforts to reduce the risk of soil subsidence in various areas under the precincts of Abu Dhabi City, and take necessary measures to address and check the expansion and recurrence of this phenomenon; that includes reviewing the designs and making final recommendations pertinent to soil tests in some areas, and is considering appointing a senior consultation office specialized in soil research to conduct a comprehensive geotechnical, geophysical and hydro-geological study to develop a long-term plan to prevent the occurrence of soil subsidence and associated results in the future. The Committee has conducted a comprehensive field survey of buildings, streets and compiled reports in this regard. These reports showed that the causes of fissures are mainly attributed to the soil properties due to a quick change in the surface underground water table as a result of dewatering associated with the construction of some projects in these areas where the soft soil components are siphoned away; which in turn impacts soil properties, weakens soil durability and thus leads to soil subsidence. Alternatively, the soil subsidence could be attributed to the existence of buried water canals that tend to change the soil properties due to the water stream in those canals. The Committee's initial reports revealed that land subsidence is one of the most important natural hazards that threaten buildings and infrastructure everywhere. They are described as vertical or horizontal movement of the land surface that usually arises as a result of imbalance of land surface layers. This phenomenon can be sensed gradually or may occur suddenly as a result of natural factors, triggered by human interference that leads to changes in land properties.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2010.
