Some level of defiance towards nature has always been at the core of the built environment. We construct simple lean-to roofs that protect us from the elements, be they rain, snow, wind or sun. We expand these constructs to protect not just the inhabitants, but also our things. They evolve to become more enclosed and permanent so that we can better defend against the environment and ultimately control the conditions in which we live.
They become connected to an infrastructure of plumbing, electrical, communication and transportation systems allowing us to dictate our environment. The same expanding lineage occurs in the progression from the worn path to the paved super- highway. I am interested in these efforts to create our place and the hidden infrastructures that are part of this ‘Control of Nature’.
infrastructure | foundation conditions by bradford watson strive on – the control of nature is won , not given — the engineering building of the university of wyoming
Unstable Ground Swelling Soils in the Front Range
This condition dramatically impacts the construction methods and systems along with increases in time and resources when compared to construction in areas of the country that do not have swelling soils. While most areas of the United States contain some amount of expansive soil, F H Chen stated in Foundations on Expansive Soils (1988) that states like Colorado are particularly susceptible to damage from expansive soil movement because of the large amount of surface clay and alternating climate from rain to drought. Jones and Holtz estimated in 1973 that swelling soils contributed to $2.3 billion in damages in the United States, impacting twice as many people as floods. In 1987 this number was updated by Jones and Jones to be $9 billion in damages to buildings and infrastructure. It is within this framework that following photographs, collages and objects have been created.
This specific line of investigation focuses on the ten most populated counties in Colorado, all located along the Interstate Highway-25 corridor of the Front Range make up 81% of the population in the state. This region is growing at a rate of 16.3%, slightly lower than the entire state at 16.9%, but significantly faster than the U S national rate of growth at 9.7% (all numbers 2000 – 2010 change in population). These areas of development are located in a region where 69.7% of the soil contains clay having ‘high swelling potential’. Swelling soils in Colorado were legally defined as ‘soil and rock that contains clay which expands to a significant degree upon wetting and shrinks upon drying’ in House Bill 1041 (1974). This bill also requires development in areas designated as geological hazards to be engineered and administered in a manner that will minimise significant hazard to public health and safety or to property.
The combination of rapid population increase in
the counties surrounding
Denver, Colorado, and the presence of ‘swelling soils’ or expansive clay soil conditions in those counties, has prompted the development of expensive, complex and, in the end, hidden foundation conditions.
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