Halliwell performed on-site investigations of the reported damage at the Philadelphia Mixing Solutions facility in Palmyra, PA. This investigation was requested as the result of a claim having been filed by the insured associated with damage to the buildings located on-site. A large subsidence crater was reported to have formed on the grounds along the south side of the building adjacent to the field building near the location known as the West Shipping area and Field House. Several interconnected buildings were reported to be affected by the subsidence, including field house, the old farm house, the old shipping dock, staging area, and west shipping area. The field house was a single-story corrugated metal panel clad steel lean-to framed building that was attached to the two-story wood framed old farm house to the southwest, and also attached to the concrete masonry unit (CMU) end wall of the staging area building to the north. The staging area building, west shipping building and old shipping docks are steel framed buildings with light gauge metal roofs with CMU end walls located on the south end of the buildings.
The purpose of this investigation was to provide an engineering opinion as to the cause and origin of the subsidence that formed at the lawn on the old shipping dock, and the field house lean-to building. The scope of our investigation was to perform an on-site inspection of the subsidence, review available aerial photographs, and review engineering reports. Additionally, a review of the weather from the date of loss and a review of geological information for the site was performed to analyze the nature of the loss.