Buildings are engineered to be sturdy and withstand the test of time but sometimes things can go terribly wrong. When this happens it can lead to catastrophic consequences such as the death of many people. One example of this is the Sampoong Department Store collapse in South Korea in 1995 which killed more than 500 people and injured over 937 more. This brings us to the question: What causes buildings to collapse and are there any warning signs to watch out for? One of the first things to watch out for is overloading. A building can collapse if there is more weight on a portion of it than the structure is designed to support. This is referred to as overloading. Next up is material deterioration. Chemical changes in materials, such as rust bursts can cause buildings to collapse. There is also ground settling. When a structure is built on unstable lands, such as soft soil or marshland, the foundation can begin to sink shortly after construction. And it only gets worse with time. Design flaws can cause havoc on a building’s structure. Finally, natural disasters are also a major cause of the devastation of buildings. Events such as earthquakes, fires, or hurricanes mess with a building’s foundation causing unforetold damage. Has this list piqued your curiosity yet? Do you want to know more about how each of these elements affects and devastates buildings?
