Consulting and Expert Testimony

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Ground Motion

Project: Hsu-Chu Landslide / Landslide, Construction Defect, Drainage, Sewer Failure, Foundation Failure

During construction of the last of four multi-million-dollar residences in an exclusive neighborhood in the Oakland Hills, two landslides occurred downhill from this last residence.  Closer inspection showed that the house had settled differentially 3 inches; its walls were cracked throughout; and, the entire soil mass on which it was built appeared to be moving.

We investigated this loss and determined that numerous construction defects had lead to the present situation: the subsurface drainage functioned improperly; the storm drain beneath the street sloped uphill and filled with silt thus rendering it ineffective; the soil mass was an old landslide that had not been repaired correctly; and the piers beneath the residence did not extend into bedrock.

Project: Chawla Residence / Landslide, Construction Defect

This was an inspection and analysis project for a residence built on the Cupertino hillside. A landslide occurred, and a retaining wall was destroyed.