Rialto engineering report pinpoints likely cause of ground collapse at Orlando apartments
ORLANDO, Fla. —
A new engineering report is shedding light on what likely caused a large hole to form beneath the Rialto Apartments in Orlando earlier this year.
This happened back in March at the complex along Sand Lake Road.
According to the report, the primary damage was found in two areas of the building and was caused by a loss of support beneath the ground slab.
Engineers said the loss of support is connected to the ground beneath the building continuing to move downward. A deep underground subsidence process involving the limestone beneath the property is most likely what caused the ground to sink, the report states.
Soil may be moving, or “raveling,” into underground voids within the limestone, according to the report. That type of condition is commonly associated with karst terrain or sinkhole activity.
Hundreds of people were forced to evacuate the complex in March after reporting popping noises, stuck doors, and cracked walls.
The complex is now at the center of a lawsuit filed by former residents, who claim negligence and breach of contract.
The Rialto said it cannot comment on litigation.