Attention, Brits - Your Clock is Going Limp

[Zappit]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44846729/ns/travel-news/#.TpNi2bK3OCg

Big Ben is actually sinking - unevenly - into the ground. It's apparent to the naked eye that it's tilting now, too, but the authorities say it's still safe and acceptable.

 

[GasBandit]

Everything is fine! Big Ben is NOT about to fall over, possibly crushing hundreds to death! Go about your lives! Isn't it time to drink more of your water steeped in dead cellulose yet?!

 

[strawman]

A little Viagra will fix that right up.

 

[Cheesy1]

Didn't we warn you guys about hanging around with the Italians?! Now you got what they got, and they STILL haven't found a cure yet!

 

[AshburnerX]

I really don't see how they can do much about it except tear it down and rebuild it. It's not like they can dig under it and shore up the foundation.

 

[GasBandit]

I really don't see how they can do much about it except tear it down and rebuild it. It's not like they can dig under it and shore up the foundation.

Could they build it sort of a giant crutch?

 

[strawman]

There are ways.

 

[The Tower from Pisa.]

Pffft... i did that before it was cool...

 

[Tower]

nothing to see here except the forum lying to me about not posting from a guest account...

 

[Chronos[Ha-G]]

Didn't they fix* the Leaning Tower of Pisa by removing some dirt from beneath it? At least, if Wikipedia is to be believed. Would that be feasible in this case?

*By making the tower stop its gradual descent to the Earth, and not, as one might mistakenly believe, by making the tower straight.

 

[strawman]

There are lots of ways to do it. Typically you reinforce the bottom section as though it were a second foundation, then you install a jacking system between the foundation and the reinforced section. But the sinking is so slow in this case, and the building so small, that it's not going to need an active system. They'd simply adjust it every few years once the second section was reinforced.