Cost to fill in Cambria Cavern with concrete totals more than half a million dollars

[Elderberry]

by CBS Austin June 12th 2018

Williamson County's plan to close the cave on Cambria Drive was approved by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality was approved last month, and now we know how much it will cost.

The portion of the cave belonging to WilCo found in the Brushy Creek neighborhood in February will be filled in with concrete.

The county will decide whether or not to award the contract to mitigate the cave to Chasco Constructors of Round Rock, who submitted a bid of $530,425.

That cost includes rebuilding the street and sidewalk, reinstalling a water line, and the concrete and supports to fill in the cave.

In May, Williamson County Engineer Terron Evertson said it will take at least 200 trucks of concrete to fill the cave.

More: http://cbsaustin.com/news/local/cost-to-fill-in-cambria-cavern-with-concrete-totals-more-than-half-a-million-dollars

[Sanguine]

I know that area well, but never heard of this cave.

[thackney]

I know that area well, but never heard of this cave.

I believe it was only found earlier this year after a collapse.

http://www.kxan.com/news/green/photos-40-foot-deep-cave-discovered-under-brushy-creek-neighborhood/1031492166

 People who live in a Brushy Creek neighborhood west of Round Rock are in awe after a hole opened up on a street, revealing a 22-foot deep cave underneath. Crews initially said the cave went down 40 feet, but a new estimate says 22 feet.

- - - - - -

http://www.kxan.com/news/local/crews-begin-constructing-new-cover-over-cambria-cavern/1031476451

Kelley had a chance to peer into the 200-foot long and 22-feet deep cave Tuesday after crews took off the plywood cover over the entrance, which had been bowing and sagging, according to a Williamson County spokeswoman. Kelley said he saw a large section of earth and concrete that was not fully attached. "Were it to detach, it looks big enough to kill people," Kelley said.

[thackney]

https://www.statesman.com/news/local/map-shows-cave-squarely-under-two-williamson-county-homes/ubFEIsu4w4HBhAyt9UkESJ/

An aerial map released by Williamson County shows a 200-foot long cave in the Brushy Creek neighborhood is squarely underneath two homes....



...The area is home to dozens of caves. The Brushy Creek MUD maintains 40 caves, and nearby Beck Preserve hosts seven caves. Odom said during recent construction of Pearson Ranch Road near RM 620, crews found five caves....

[driftdiver]

and those houses will be written off

[thackney]

and those houses will be written off

By whom?  They are privately owned.  Do you expect the government to buy them?

While they caves are newly discovered, they are not new.  I suspect they lost a lot of market value unless marketed to a spelunker.

[driftdiver]

By whom?  They are privately owned.  Do you expect the government to buy them?

While they caves are newly discovered, they are not new.  I suspect they lost a lot of market value unless marketed to a spelunker.

A friend of mine had a sinkhole under his house.   Fortunately he had coverage as all policies do not cover sinkholes.  Anyway the insurance company paid him the full value as the house was considered a total loss.  He bought it back from them for about 6% of what they just paid him.

Now why did you jump right to me suggesting the govt would pay them off?  Hell I don't think the govt should pay to fill the cavern except for under the street.

[thackney]

A friend of mine had a sinkhole under his house.   Fortunately he had coverage as all policies do not cover sinkholes.  Anyway the insurance company paid him the full value as the house was considered a total loss.  He bought it back from them for about 6% of what they just paid him.

Now why did you jump right to me suggesting the govt would pay them off?  Hell I don't think the govt should pay to fill the cavern except for under the street.

Since standard insurance doesn't cover sinkholes and cave-ins, most people don't have that additional coverage, particularly in an area where it is not common.

So I was trying to figure out who was going to write it off.  Government was the only entity I could imagine.

https://www.esurance.com/info/homeowners/does-homeowners-insurance-cover-sinkholes

[Sanguine]

This is crazy.  I did hear about the cave in, but not the cave.  Surprise!

[driftdiver]

Since standard insurance doesn't cover sinkholes and cave-ins, most people don't have that additional coverage, particularly in an area where it is not common.

So I was trying to figure out who was going to write it off.  Government was the only entity I could imagine.

https://www.esurance.com/info/homeowners/does-homeowners-insurance-cover-sinkholes

@thackney
Here in Florida we live on a swiss cheese of water soluble limestone rock floating on the aquifer.  State law requires sinkhole coverage but I imagine Texas doesn't.

[thackney]

@thackney
Here in Florida we live on a swiss cheese of water soluble limestone rock floating on the aquifer.  State law requires sinkhole coverage but I imagine Texas doesn't.

Are you sure about the law requiring coverage?  I read the law required insurance coverage to be available for sinkholes in Florida; the same law in PA.

[thackney]

Are you sure about the law requiring coverage?  I read the law required insurance coverage to be available for sinkholes in Florida; the same law in PA.

@driftdiver

Sorry, I should have searched before asking:

In most states, coverage for home damage due to earth movement is not required.  Only Tennessee and Florida require certain kinds of coverage for earth movement.  Until 2007, sinkhole insurance coverage in Florida was very broad.  In 2007, the Florida legislature passed Florida Statute 627.706, which requires insurance companies to provide all homeowners with coverage only for catastrophic ground cover collapse.  Broader coverage for less severe damage from sinkholes was changed to an optional coverage (which would cost more).

http://www.earthtech.com/residential/sinkhole-truth/florida-sinkhole-insurance-facts/

[driftdiver]

@driftdiver

Sorry, I should have searched before asking:

In most states, coverage for home damage due to earth movement is not required.  Only Tennessee and Florida require certain kinds of coverage for earth movement.  Until 2007, sinkhole insurance coverage in Florida was very broad.  In 2007, the Florida legislature passed Florida Statute 627.706, which requires insurance companies to provide all homeowners with coverage only for catastrophic ground cover collapse.  Broader coverage for less severe damage from sinkholes was changed to an optional coverage (which would cost more).

http://www.earthtech.com/residential/sinkhole-truth/florida-sinkhole-insurance-facts/

@thackney
Some areas are more active than others.  A big part of the problem occurs in the winter.  The farms pump lots of water out to protect the crops from freezing.  The lower water level removes support for the swiss cheese limestone which then settles, causing a sinkhole.    A few years ago one opened up under a guys bed, they never found him.

[Sanguine]

@thackney
Some areas are more active than others.  A big part of the problem occurs in the winter.  The farms pump lots of water out to protect the crops from freezing.  The lower water level removes support for the swiss cheese limestone which then settles, causing a sinkhole.    A few years ago one opened up under a guys bed, they never found him.

I read about that!  Talk about a nightmare.  Asleep in your own bed and you get swallowed up by the earth.