Geotechnical Issues

The required tree cutting permit was not obtained from the City of Coquitlam. In spite of my requests, the law was ignored and the strata corporation did not obtain an arborist report until after these trees were cut down. Approximately half the trees that were cut down were beyond the required area for the scaffolding. These trees were cut down after the scaffolding was gone. http://www.choa.bc.ca/members/pdf/400/400-005%20List%20of%20Strata%20Lawyers.pdf


The trees planted around unit 409 served an important geotechnical purpose.
This shim is from the first time our building sunk.















What affect cutting down the trees had on the 20-year warranty in place since 1988 - I do not know - but here is the hole dug at the northeast corner of our building in May 2008 to add another beam to shim up our building after it sunk again when the trees were cut down and not replaced. I want the trees back as soon as possible, before our building sinks for a 3rd time.














This hole was 46x46x66 inches in size and left open for nearly 6 months at the northeast corner of our building from May to November 2008. At the south end of our building these wooden supports were added as reinforcment, but for some reason fall below the level of the cracked concrete under this staircase at the front of our unit. We do not consider the whole of these circumstances to be at all minor and dispute claims to the contary.














The rains and power washing that occurred during that 6-month period of time eroded the earth creating several of these caves in the hole. We don't know what happened under the building where we couldn't see.














Strata Records contain a report from Sayers Engineering Limited dated January 19, 1989, stating that the concrete foundation reinforced with steel fractured under our unit and settled due to a lack of subgrade support, which was thought to be due to the dirt below the foundation not being retained, or fill settling, and/or migration from water flow. We do not know why the hole was left open from May to November 2008, or what, if anything, council did to assess whether there was resultant settlement during the 6 months , and if so, the degree of foreseeable damage due to dirt below the foundation not being retained and/or migration from water flow.


At the AGM on April 1, 2009, Mr. Mac indicated that it is foreseeable that we may sink again. His acknowledgement of the foreseeable consequences of digging such a sizable hole and leaving it open for 6 months concerns us. A lot.