VietNamNet Bridge – A
center with geological database and data of underground works is considered the
optimal solution to detect and prevent dead holes in HCM City.

It was the suggestion of experts at a workshop
to seek feasible measures to define dead holes and underground works held by
the HCM City Department of Science and Technology on January 12.

Depression of roads, which create big holes
in HCM City’s roads, has become a big threat
for passers-by and a great concern of local residents. HCM City
authorities have called for scientists to offer solutions to control this
problem.

Ha Ngoc Truong, Vice Chair of the HCM City
Bridge, Road and Port
Association, said that holes appear in all districts.

“The latest dead hole discovered on Tran
Hung Dao road, District 1, is really terrible. It looks like a part of the Cu
Chi tunnel network. If you see it from the outside, it is normal but when you
ride over it, you will see how it is wide. As an expert of roads and brides, I
think that dead holes have become a big problem,” Truong warned.

Since July 2010, at least 57 cases of dead
holes resulting from road depression have been recorded in the city. The major
reason is the serious deterioration of underground works like the water supply
and power systems. Around 36.8 percent of holes were caused by errors by
builders.

Nguyen Vinh Ninh, Deputy Director of the
Urban Transportation Management Unit 1, said that weak geology, exploitation of
underground water and flood-tide patterns also causes depression.

Experts and relevant agencies have
suggested some methods to track down holes, such as using robots, ultrasound
waves, radars, etc. Using a radar is praised to be the most effective.

However, many experts said that the most
important measure is managing and predicting dead holes through establishing a
center that controls HCM
City’s geological
database and provides information about underground works in the city.

Thai Phuong