5. Conclusion

In this study, which is by no means exhaustive, we have attempted to classify, as far as possible, the technical origins of the damage, based on the many disorders affecting foundations (surface and/or deep) that we have learned of in the course of out-of-court or court appraisals. This is a difficult and sometimes delicate exercise, as the causes may be multiple and the role of each is often debatable.

The most common causes are as follows:

• the absence, or inadequacy, of surveys and studies of the soil on which the building is to be built, and of the ground on which it is to be built (if any), or even a lack of understanding of geotechnical phenomena. This is especially true for standard buildings (single-family homes in particular);

• water, enemy no. 1, at least for superficial foundations;...