Wobbly apartment block

[xandreu]

We live on the 5th floor of a 7 storey apartment block and a few weeks ago I started to occasionally notice a very, very, incredibly subtle rocking sensation from time to time. It was so subtle that for a long time I wondered if I was just imagining it until one day my partner asked me if I ever felt like the building was moving a little.

It's been slowly getting more frequent but I don't think it's getting worse in terms of severity, apart from when one of us is exercising on the communal balcony that stretches half way round each floor. We also mostly feel it when people are walking up or down the stairs on the side of the building.

We spoke to the people on the top floor who say they feel it also so we decided to ask the owners about it. They said they don't know what were talking about but they wouldn't - they live on the ground floor and rarely come up to the higher floors.

I've had a look round for any structural damage - cracks in the walls / floors etc, but can't see anything. My limited research on the internet seems to suggest that rocking buildings are quite normal and people have a habit of exaggerating the sensation of rocking but so long as there is no obvious structural damage, there's nothing to worry about.

Has anyone else experienced this? And I guess the million dollar question - What are the chances of a building just suddenly collapsing without warning?

[Captain Bonez]

I feel my house rocking back and forth from the heavy building work going on nearby. Are you in BKK3?

[ItWasntMe]

I've experienced similar some years ago. didn't mind it much until the hangers in the wardrobe started sliding from side to side. Turned out there was an earthquake.

But modern buildings should be able to sustain. I imagine the wobbling is part of sustaining vs cracking.

Though will let the architects of the forum clear that one up

[xandreu]

I feel my house rocking back and forth from the heavy building work going on nearby. Are you in BKK3?

There is no building work going on around me. However, they finished building an even higher block right next door about six months ago. We didn't experience any rocking while it was being built and have only started feeling it a few months after they finished. I have wondered if they did something to the foundations during construction.

[rogerrabbit]

For really tall buildings it's totally normal to sway in a way that you can feel/see it but for 7 storey building not is not really the case. I doubt it's because people walking up and down on stairs as this would be really serious if that would have such an effect, but probably construction work on going nearby? How old is the building?

[Fourkinnel]

I would expect that on a 20 or 30 storey building! Not a 7 ! I would move!
Good job Cambodia is not in a seismic active area. Some new structures in SHV and elsewhere might not be standing after.

[Ghostwriter]

Having lived a decade in strong sismic area with lower construction standards (with malls including rollercoaster on the topfloor wirh zero issues, discos with strong bass vibrations, and other structural-challenging activities), i would move from a 7-floors in PP providing the same daily minor sensations of it for no reasons.
It's not much of a sismic area. Therefore....

Cambodia was actually a relief, in this field.

[timmydownawell]

When they were building a 10-storey block three doors along from me, each time they laid a new floor slab, I could feel my building shudder. It's because all the buildings are leaning against or built onto each other. Perhaps the higher building is moving and yours is being pushed? Is it more noticeable in high winds, like just before the rain storms hit?

[violet]

I feel my house rocking back and forth from the heavy building work going on nearby. Are you in BKK3?

There is no building work going on around me. However, they finished building an even higher block right next door about six months ago. We didn't experience any rocking while it was being built and have only started feeling it a few months after they finished. I have wondered if they did something to the foundations during construction.

I googled because when people write about buildings starting to move I get anxious .... but realised I might just be ill-informed.

This was interesting.

https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions ... cause-this

A couple of quotes

Some types of soils have a certain elasticity that transmits vibrations from heavy movement into the building's foundation and up into the structure. These movements are primarily vertical in direction and would typically not be threatening to the building, though repeated severe vibrations can cause brittle finish materials such as plaster work to crack or even fall out of position.

A similar movement can be caused just from people moving normally on a particular floor system, especially in smaller buildings, because the floor structure is overly elastic. This usually would not indicate any structural failure is imminent, rather that the structure was not built adequately from a usability standpoint

.

While there is certainly cause for concern, imminent collapse World Trade Center style is highly unusual. I've seen many obviously failed buildings in developing countries in which squatters live without incident for years. Yet one would have to be truly desperate to spend time in such buildings, as sudden catastrophic collapse does remain a possibility.

To add a bit more, he said that the issue was likely similar to the case of the leaning tower or pisa. Additionally, he said that the shaking would probably cause some issues with the building years down the road, but that I don't have anything to worry about for the duration of my stay, and in any case a problem of this kind would not be life threatening

[Ghostwriter]

There is no building work going on around me. However, they finished building an even higher block right next door about six months ago. We didn't experience any rocking while it was being built and have only started feeling it a few months after they finished. I have wondered if they did something to the foundations during construction.

Depends of what rocks the ground is made of, and if there was cavities filled with water that is pumped out increasingly quick, weakening the soil. The added constructions weighting in, makes the area less stable, as in Jakarta.
But i don't know how stable and rocksolid is the ground in PP. I know PP sucks more and more water, and that construction's quality is variable from a building to another...