North Texas is notorious for foundational issues. Some cities see it worse than others. Cities like Irving and Las Colinas neighborhood often come up in conversations about poor foundations. But experts tell us no one is totally immune from having these problems on their property.
"The people who live here all know it. But the people who move in here seem to ask the questions: 'Do you have issues? Do you have foundation problems?'" said Dennis Wagner who just bought a house in Irving two months ago.
The conversation about foundations in Irving has come up again because of the partial collapse of the parking garage. The Irving Fire Department said that one working theory is the "soil-shifting."
Wagner made sure the foundation was one of the first things on his check-list before committing on the new home. But when you've lived in Irving 18 years, you know certain stigmas are hard to shake. Wagner was surprised that "soil shifting" was addressed as a possible reason for the garage collapse.
"If you don't understand what causes the foundation to fail, it can be mystifying," said Tony Cooper of All Pro Foundation Repair.
Cooper has been fixing and inspecting foundations for more than two decades. He says there are so many variables to consider and it's vital to know what to look for. "Soil shifts in two directions. It shifts down from a lack of moisture and up from excessive moisture," Cooper said.
Cooper says add-in aging structures, over-landscaping, bad drainage, and large trees, and you have a recipe for disaster.
It's still unclear what led to the garage collapse. The property owner has hired Nelson Forensics to look into what caused the collapse. On Thursday, there were engineers inside the parking garage inspecting it. One crew even used a drone to get a closer look at the structure.
WFAA made several calls to Nelson Forensics for comment. Our calls have yet to be returned.