A sinkhole was discovered near Grote Hall at the Univerisity of Tennessee at Chattanooga.The sinkhole couldn't have picked a better spot to sink, UTC senior Marko Campodonico thought Monday.
He stopped by the edge and peered at the about-30-feet-long hole that emerged right next to Grote Hall sometime Sunday afternoon.
Grote Hall houses the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's geology department. And Campodonico is studying geology.
"I'm fascinated by it right now," he said. "I'm glad it's not any bigger."
Still, he added, it's a relatively small sinkhole, all things considered.
But it was big enough that UTC officials closed the building Monday, moved classes and sent a text alert to warn students to stay away from the hole. The school expects to reopen the building for classes today, said spokesman Chuck Cantrell, because there was no structural damage to Grote Hall.
"That building, as it turns out, is built on pillars that are anchored into the bedrock," he said. "It's in fine shape."
The sinkhole likely was caused by a broken 10-inch concrete water drainage pipe, Cantrell added. The water leaked out of the pipe and eroded the dirt nearby, which eventually caused the whole area to collapse, he said.
He wasn't sure how long repairs would take or how much the damage will cost the school.
The college will use a mixture of dirt and concrete to fill the hole.
Cantrell said students will need to avoid the area while repairs are under way, but he added that there is no immediate danger of more sinkholes.
"There's no danger walking around," he said. "The [blocked-off] area is just to make sure it would be safe. It was a precautionary measure."
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