:crazy2: "Man" does not create earthquakes, tornadoes or hurricanes.
Man did also not create the Grand Canyon.

Bowling Green is a portion of the Pennyroyal Karst Region, under which lies the largest underground cave system in the world. Sinkholes are commonplace in this region, just look out on most any farm and you will see a lot of them. What is very rare is a sinkhole developing "inside" a building.

A few days ago Bowling Green had a very hard 3" rain, followed by several freeze / thaw cycles. While the sinkhole may have developed over many years, the recent weather may have played a role.

The sky dome foundation is sound (preliminary review), and the sinkhole will be remediated as soon as the geotech and structural engineers work out a plan. I think everyone will be surprised at how fast the problem is resolved.

:cheers:

In the press conference they explitly state both the building and cars are insured for sibkhole damage....

I think it's upside down and almost completely buried. There is one point in the video where you can just see one wheel showing thru the dirt......:eek: :(

None of your post is knowable until the insurance policy and a lot more is known....... That takes time to discover - not just a lot of guessing as your post is.....

The causation of the floor giving way is also unknowable at this point in time.

I wasn't aware of GM owning any of this facility. What is your source for stating such?

Imagin being the guy who's waited months for his Z51 museum deliver and he wakes up to this news......

Where was this stated? Link?

I highly doubt this sink hole was caused by anything to do with oil drilling or tectonic plates shifting. This is more than likely the result of a fracture in a large line carrying water or runoff.

As to how they value something like that for insurance. These are collectors cars and would be insured based on "Stated Value". You pay a rate based on what you value the car at and the insurance company will then insure the car for that value. In the case of a collectors car which by the way, your Stingray can be insured as, insurance can be ridiculously cheap. For example, my 2014 Z51 stated value of $65K is under $700 per year compared to more than $1700 a year on my Mercury policy. This with 100/300K coverage. The only caveat is the max miles you can drive per year on the NCM collector car policy is 6000.

Regardless, NCM is covered for the cars as are those who placed the cars on loan to NCM. They most certainly without a shadow of a doubt are well covered on multiple policies from automobile policies to property and god knows what other policies they may have that could assume the insurance liability. A meteor could fall on the NCM let alone a hole in the ground eating the cars and each car would be covered for their stated value. For anybody to think otherwise is just plain foolish.

On site "preliminary" review by engineers. If this were not the case, they would not have allowed twenty camera crews to shoot footage in the dome. BTW, a large portion of the red "Spire" is supported by the structure of the dome, not the foundation that is very close to the sink hole.

Also, Wendell Strode made the same comment during the first press conference. There may not be a full length version posted on-line, but it was clearly stated.

Being close to the situation, I also know most of the engineers involved.

:cheers:

What about the PLANT ? ? ?
 

If sinkholes are all over the area, how do we know the plant is safe? ?

OK......so, I'm looking for where it was definitively stated?

I know you have your opinions on what you are seeing. But to state that "the dome's foundation is sound?" That, is what I wanted to see the LINK to. If you don't have it, just say so. I am going by what you wrote, so if that's not what was stated, where I can hear or read it - just say so.

We, or anybody doesn't know.

Until such time as the grounds underneath any of these structures is tested with drilling sample and exploration......it is ALL a big ol guess.

It's fairly obvious the concrete flooring in the NCM was a fail - what we do not know is the why it happened.

There's just a bunch of hearsay flying around about facts here, that may or may not be substantiated.

That building was mis-engineered, at the very least, or, what? That is what we do not know......

Unbelievable!
 

Just got back from my Casino trip in Biloxi MS and saw the pics via email from the NCM. What a freaky event right at the heart of Corvette history.

By coincidence, back on 1/30/14 I remarked in a post about the fragile soil conditions in TN
(just south of BG, where I had property).


And further by coincidence, a very loud thunderbolt woke my butt up early at approx 0544 on 2/12/14, which is the time the motion alarm went off in the skydome. An hour later we were on the bus to go to Biloxi.

I don't want to make an issue of this, but I clearly stated that this was the "preliminary" review of on-site engineers. This was stated in the press conference, you can probably find it if you look at the NCM web site.

This forum is not a court of law, and you can believe whatever you choose. I can't think of a good reason for me to offer anything other than what I saw and heard today, from engineers that I have known for many years.

BTW, I mentioned earlier that sinkholes are very common in this region. With that said, there are hundreds of thousands of structures and tens of thousands of miles of roads that have been built. Geologists and engineers understand the subsurface conditions, and design accordingly.

The sink hole at the museum is a very rare occurrence. I have lived in Bowling Green for over forty years, and I had never heard of another sink hole developing inside a building.

"My" opinion. There is no need for panic at the museum or at the plant, or anywhere else in the region for that matter. We will regroup, rebuild and move forward.

:cheers:

Well, the issue is not settled then, is it? I don't believe that; "the dome's foundation is sound," then.

To put it in simple terms, I wouldn't get anywhere near the "dome," at this time. This includes the grounds of the NC Shrine. Too early to make any conclusions.

This is serious stuff - and I take my and my family's safety very seriously. To that end, I would not be all-fired interested in being anywhere on the west side of the exit there on I-65. No time soon anyway.

The trouble at this time is; we just do not know. I don't want to make ANY guesses as some here are intent on concluding.......one way or the other. The danger is real, and the causation is NOT KNOWN.

:crazy2: OK Joe, I didn't figure you would let it go, so here is your link:

http://www.bgdailynews.com/news/muse...35b40349f.html

"WKU civil engineering professor Matt Dettman said that while the wall of the sinkhole may develop a bit farther from the Skydome, the overall structure of the building appears to be stable."

I'll be waiting for your apology, but something tells me that it won't be forthcoming anytime soon.

... unless, of course, you conclude that I paid off somebody at the local newspaper to concoct a phony story!

...Conspiracy theorists unite!

:cheers:

This is the email that I got from the NCM:

Sinkhole Update #2

In our effort to continue to provide up to date information...

The National Corvette Museum will be open beginning Thursday, February 13 for tours. The Skydome portion of the tour will be closed to the public. The Museum is open daily, 8am-5pm CT and is located at I-65 exit 28.

The structural engineering firm did determine that the perimeter of the Skydome is stable. We have worked with our insurance adjustor to retain Scott, Murphy and Daniel as our construction manager and they will be coordinating all work moving forward.

All cars that were on display in the Museum's Skydome not affected by the sinkhole have been safely removed.

As an update, photos of the sinkhole, cars that were affected (before the collapse), and readerboard information on each car can be viewed and downloaded here.

Video footage, including surveillance footage of the sinkhole collapse, helicopter drone footage inside the sinkhole and more are on our You Tube channel here.

Those wishing to make financial contributions to the Museum may do so on our website here.

Release from Earlier Today

We received a call at 5:44am from our security company alerting us of our motion detectors going off in our Skydome area of the Museum. Upon arrival it was discovered that a sinkhole had collapsed within the Museum. No one was in or around the Museum at the time. The Bowling Green Fire Department arrived on the scene and secured the area. The Fire Department has estimated the size of the hole is 40 feet across and 25-30 feet deep.

It is with heavy hearts that we report that eight Corvettes were affected by this incident. Those cars include:

1993 ZR-1 Spyder on loan from General Motors
2009 ZR1 “Blue Devil” on loan from General Motors
The other six vehicles were owned by the National Corvette Museum including:

1962 Black Corvette
1984 PPG Pace Car
1992 White 1 Millionth Corvette
1993 Ruby Red 40th Anniversary Corvette
2001 Mallett Hammer Z06 Corvette
2009 White 1.5 Millionth Corvette
None of the cars affected were on loan from individuals. The Skydome exhibit area of the Museum is a separate structure connected to the main Museum. A structural engineer is now on-site to assess the existing damage and stability of the surrounding areas. The Museum is closed to the public for the day to allow us to carefully assess the situation. We will keep everyone informed as we know more.

With the 20th Anniversary celebration, Grand Opening of the NCM Motorsports Park, and the National Corvette Caravan coming August 27-30, we’ve got a lot to be excited about in 2014, and look forward to getting the Skydome repaired and reopened very soon.

The National Corvette Museum is the ‘Gateway to All Things Corvette’ and a member-driven, 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation. Weekly news on the latest Corvette developments, racing updates, event features and raffles are available by subscribing to “NCM eNews” at: corvettemuseum.org/ncmenews. Dedicated to the mission of celebration, education and preservation, the Museum is open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT - located at Exit 28 on I-65 in Bowling Green, KY.

This email was sent by: National Corvette Museum
350 Corvette Drive Bowling Green KY 42101

I wish this was the only post in this entire thread. Why are so many people who supposedly love the Corvette and the NCM spewing needless thoughts that have zero scientific evidence. Bowling Green is not falling off the face of the earth. There are over 400 miles of caves that have been mapped in the Mammoth Cave System. They have been here for millions of years. They will fix the problem and the NCM will continue to be the shinning star in Corvette history. No events have or will be cancelled.

Here's the real reason. :rofl:
http://www.slideshare.net/nickallenbrown/cover-up-31139041

my initial reaction was that I was shocked that after this event people are just walking around inside the building like nothing more serious than a tree falling on the place happened as far as whether it's safe to be in there or not. I feel inclined to say that if such a thing happened at my workplace, afterward I damn sure wouldn't spend any considerable time inside. and if I had an office in that building, I probably wouldn't at all feel comfortable spending 30 hours or so every week rolling the dice. and to think that the place will continue to host visits of at times thousands of people, including children seems seriously foolish.

but I'm learning here that I need to not jump to conclusions without having all the information about what it's like to live in that area.

the office I spend most of my time in is literally within a few hundred feet of the San Andreas Fault Line. when I first moved here, quakes would scare the living dog doo out of me. the locals are rarely even amused by being inside a structure where you can literally see the walls sway. when I say 'sway' I mean just enough to see, not like the roof falls in or the floor gives way. but sometimes you can literally feel that the entire building has just moved about an inch in one direction below you. it makes you question your assumptions. 'rock solid' is not always so solid. if you're right next to where the quake emanated, even a 4.0 is a jolt. one day I heard just one sharp "BANG" right under me. I reflexively jumped about a foot up in the air and before I could gather my wits and make it out the door, it was over. in town is a Spanish Mission that was built in 1762. 200 feet from it is a plaque stating that is the location of the faultline. and the building still stands.

so what I've learned is that the locals are probably a lot more informed about the risk level of their regional sinkholes. still, it's truly a freakish thing to watch the floor drop and Vettes begin to disappear. it's a sickening feeling to wait to see if that blue ZR1 is next, and then see that it is.

at the same time, how many of us have gone 150+ in a Vette? probably far more risky to drive one of these at the 'fun' zone than it is to spend time in a place that is a shrine to something a lot of people apparently have reverence for. sometimes accidents happen in the 'zone' but that doesn't seem deter people for very long from enjoying a visit there again if at all possible. why should it deter people from a visit to the Corvette 'holy land' whether that's a velocity or a building? if anything, it adds to the experience. one more thing to raise adrenalin levels. this event will live in infamy as one more challenge the Corvette has faced and emerged from victorious. one more thing to make it even more of a hoot to have as part of life.

I've never been to NCM, but now I really feel like I want to. some people avoid risk and some are attracted to it. the former may have more of themselves in life, but the latter definitely have more life in themselves. the former says, "oh no you ditt-int!" and the latter says, "I wish a m***** f***** would!!!"