Wal-Mart has Parking Lot Problem

Notes from The Florissant, MO City Council Meeting RE: Wal Mart's newly opened store. One would think that a firm the size of Wal Mart would have done some soil testing prior to building next to a creek, but what do I know.....

The council also held a public hearing about the new Wal-Mart. Raymond Frankenberg II, an engineer on the project, spoke to the council. He told the council that a portion of the parking lot is moving. The area would be to the right as someone exited the store, at the corner of the lot farthest from the store. The parking lot as well as the ground beyond it is moving.

Four acres are moving, Frankenberg said. They are moving in the direction of Coldwater Creek. He said that there is a layer of soft grey clay which is very soft about 80 feet down. When it rains, a lot, “it liquefies, if you will.” In very dry periods, he said, the movement almost stops.

Two geotechnical firms are working on a solution. The have been monitoring the movement.

The solution, Frankenberg said, was to take weight off the area. The company plans to haul off approximately 35,000 cubic years of material. This will take between seven and 15 weeks, Frankenburg said. “Once we’ve unloaded the first 12,000 yards of material, should see movement stop,” he said

http://www.flovalleynews.com/florissant-city-council-meeting-2

The comment from the City Council members in the article are amusing.