the essential
For the past year, our department has been facing an accumulation of collapses or risks of collapse of buildings in the city center. For what ? Dominique Boussuge, president of the Vauban International Institute of Experts and Experts, expert in building pathology, herself affected by this problem in Castres, reveals the reasons, and provides her solution.
The ongoing trial of the tragedy in rue d'Aubagne, in Marseille (8 deaths at the end of 2018) reminds us of the extent to which, over time, the risk increases and worries. In Tarn, more and more endangerment or safety orders are being issued by town halls in the face of the risk of buildings collapsing. Especially in the city center. Since last year, whether in Graulhet, Gaillac, Albi or Castres, the examples have been piling up.
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A building threatens to collapse in Gaillac
For Dominique Boussuge, president of the International Institute of Experts and Vauban Experts, expert in building pathology, herself the owner of premises in a building affected by this problem, the worst is to come if nothing is done quickly. “Since 2020, I have noticed numerous risks of collapse in France and especially in the city center. Our buildings are aging,” she notes. “The trustees do not carry out structural inspections and therefore cannot realize the disastrous state of the structures despite a very beautiful facade. I have been trying for 30 years to make a structural diagnosis compulsory for buildings over 15 years old. Several deputies in France follow me and soon this will be presented to the National Assembly. Well I hope so…”
“Water is the enemy of our buildings”
Primary cause of collapse and risk of collapse: water. “It’s the enemy of our buildings,” points out the expert. “It infiltrates through the roofs or walls between the stones and disintegrates the joint between the stones. The stones are no longer connected to each other and at the slightest movement of the ground, the building moves by settlement and collapses. This water also rots the wooden floor beams, the floors sag and cause the walls to collapse.”
Faced with the risk of collapse, procedures are launched more and more quickly by town halls, listening to the slightest alert from residents. Buildings that have sometimes been abandoned for several years, like the one on rue Rinaldi in Albi, demolished, or still inhabited and forcing tenants to find a fallback solution, for their safety.
Also read:
“I noticed cracks, the floor which was sinking abnormally”: A building in downtown Castres threatens to collapse
Teacher at Toulouse Capitole University, Dominique Boussuge “creates a new diploma in France: real estate inspector”. One more card to play as prevention: “Real estate professionals will be able to recognize building pathologies and will no longer leave them in distress, they will have the work done before the threat of ruin”, aims the expert, currently in Montreal, Canada, to teach building pathology and the risks of collapse. There, they are all real estate inspectors (that is to say at the same time: real estate agent or trustee, market value expert and pathology expert). »
In France, nearly 1.5 million homes are located in fragile or degraded condominiums.
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