"Mitigation of Damage to Buildings Adjacent to Construction Sites in Urban Environments," by Milan Vatovec, Paul Kelley, Michael Brainerd, and Charles Russo, STRUCTURE magazine, September 2010
Construction of buildings in congested urban settings often results in damage to existing structures located on adjacent sites. The underlying cause of damage is typically lack of planning and proper care before or during construction, or unpredictability of existing conditions. However, even the most careful planning and implementation can result in damage when adjacent existing buildings are fragile structures that can be especially susceptible to ground movement (due to excavation and dewatering) or vibrations (due to demoltion, pile driving, and other construction activities).