Sinkholes.. Is The SNM Safe?

[DEEPNHOCK]

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2014/02/26/national-corvette-museum-to-display-cars-swallowed-by-sinkhole/

After seeing and reading about the National Corvette Museum
(and having walked over that very hollow spot)...

Is the SNM safe from something like this?

Are the vehicles insured?

Is there a disaster plan on file...just in case?

[63t-cab]

That thought had not crossed My mind,now that You mention it.good questions,just the thought of such a disaster is purely sickening!!!

[DieselJim]

The only time a sink hole appears in South Bend is when a water main breaks under a street. Been known to capture a car when the road disappears.

[unclemiltie]

I have been in the Avanti House across from the museum. The basement walls are made of brick. This amazed me as I am use to concrete or blocks for basement walls. I did not see a single crack in the walls of Don's house. That tells me that ground is very stable.

[2R5]

Jeff .....your garage may not be safe either

[DEEPNHOCK]

Jeff .....your garage may not be safe either

But I have a disaster plan...... Marshmallow's...

[studeclunker]

Jeff, LOL...

I would think South Bend would be relatively safe from this kind of thing. One indication of the hazard for sink-holes would be a very sandy soil composition and/or limestone strata containing caves. If there are a lot of caves in the area of South Bend, this might be something to look into. A core sample taken on the property might be a wise investment on the part of the Museum's management in this case. Though the core itself mightn't be of any interest, the driller would be able to tell if he encountered any voids below ground and how deep they are. Also, the core would indicate what the strength of the strata beneath the building is. All the same, I can't see the necessity of such a thing... for now anyway.

Still... a brick foundation (basement wall) with no cracks is a good indication of a stable ground structure IIRC.

[JimK]

The kind of geology that got the Corvette Museum into trouble does extend up into Indiana, but IIR my IU geology class correctly it does not get much past Indianapolis, if that far. Bloomington, yes - lots of caves nearby plus limestone quarries. It may well have to do with where the glaciers stopped in the last ice age. South Bend is well north.

[Deaf Mute]

The day of the Corvette Museum collapse, I contacted Becky at the SNM. She assured me that there is insurance... but can cash replace a non-replaceable piece of steel (or fiberglass)?
Tornadoes are a fear in this part of the country. Building codes here require my barn to withstand 70 mph winds. We had a 90mph wind come through here about 5 years ago and all was fine.

[PlainBrownR2]

The kind of geology that got the Corvette Museum into trouble does extend up into Indiana, but IIR my IU geology class correctly it does not get much past Indianapolis, if that far. Bloomington, yes - lots of caves nearby plus limestone quarries. It may well have to do with where the glaciers stopped in the last ice age. South Bend is well north.

Yes, the geology, which is also similar to the geology here around Chicago, is glacial till. It's akin to sitting on a pudding puddle, because of the amount of sediment that's present. I would say it's less likely to happen, because the ground up here can turn into a lumpy sponge when it thaws and hasn't drained off yet(which is one way how we get our springtime potholes), and like what was said, the best way we find out that a sinkhole has occurred, is when a water main breaks, someone discovers a long since buried 1700's style well, or someone has created an empty cavity in the water table, and it falls in on itself. However, this area is radically different than how the Corvette museum had found it's sinkhole, because the geology is porous limestone in that area, and we all know what limestone does when it encounters rainwater!

Indeed, our biggest worry isn't sinkholes, it's thunderstorms, microbursts, derechos, and tornados!

[Xcalibur]

OR... maybe it will be hit by a giant meteor, or maybe be victimized by a mutant zombie attack, or...

[StudeDave57]

I have been in the Avanti House across from the museum.

Tell me more about this place please~

• where exactly is it?
• is this the place where they keep the Stude records, or...?
• is it like a hotel, or...?
• what are their hours?
• do they have a website, or?

Thanks in advance.



StudeDave '57

[8E45E]

OR... maybe it will be hit by a giant meteor, or maybe be victimized by a mutant zombie attack, or...

Don't laugh! In 2011 I stopped in at the SNM immediately after the ATHS national meet that was held in South Bend that year. While I was there, all of us were ordered to immediately move to the basement as a tornado warning was issued for the area. Thankfully, the museum was spared as one did touch down near Battle Creek, MI.

Craig

[PlainBrownR2]

That's right! Whatever manner of thunderstorm that moves from the Plains, comes directly through our area, so in the summertime, these things aren't anything of a laughing matter!

[DieselJim]

Had a F5 tornado go through on October 24,2002. Was on the ground for 27 miles. Did $34,000 in damage to our place. Neighbors roof was scattered across my back yard. Rare to have one that late in the year.