Satya Niketan Delhi collapse prompts scrutiny of soil and foundations
A multistory building in Satya Niketan, Delhi, recently collapsed, putting the spotlight on how safe our buildings actually are.
Experts say the main issues might be hidden underground, like weak soil, unstable foundations, and water collecting around the base.
As Professor Nihar Ranjan Patra from IIT Kanpur points out, almost every building depends on soil for support.
Water pooling halves soil strength
Professor Patra explains that when water keeps pooling around a building, it can cut soil strength by one-half, making it much easier for a structure to fail.
Uneven settling (where parts of a building sink more than others) and extra weight from unauthorized changes add even more stress.
The Satya Niketan building was over 40 years old and is now under investigation to figure out exactly what led to its collapse.