US Target Store Collapse: Detecting the Warning Signs

Satellite-based assessment pinpoints developing risks ahead of Barboursville Target store’s partial collapse in West Virginia.

March 05, 2024

Value.Space has conducted a satellite-based analysis of the Barboursville Target store at the Merritt Creek Farm shopping centre in West Virgina to determine whether warning signs were present before a ground slip caused significant structural damage to a part of the building in early February 2024.

Figure 1 - Damaged part of the store and Value.Space’s assessment

Left: damaged part of the Target store. Right: overview of Value.Space’s assessment.

Customers had to be evacuated from the Target store on February 2, 2024, as a landslip behind the building caused part of the store to subside.

In the following weeks the landslide movement continued and threatened the damaged part of the store with collapse, which led to demolition of the affected part of the building. Media reports have highlighted that the area has experienced ground settlement before with studies highlighting slide risks.

The assessment for the period of 13 March 2015 to 6 February 2024 identified developing warning signs at the exact location of the eventually damaged part of the Target store and another movement cluster on the shopping centre.

Figure 2 - Movement on the damaged part of the store

Encircled above: movement cluster on damaged part of the store. Below: data timeline of movement.

  • Movement cluster 1 - Long term movement on the building and road up to 2 mm per year. The movement cluster is at the precise area where part of the store building and road eventually slipped in February 2024. The data timeline of the movement area shows a notable acceleration of movement in August 2023 reaching up to 20 mm per year.

  • Movement cluster 2 – (See Figure 1) Long term movement on the building up to 5 mm per year, with total cumulative movement for the period up to 40 mm. This movement cluster is located north of the Target store on the Merritt Creek Farm shopping centre building and stands out from adjacent stable areas.

Value.Space's analysis indicated a significant increase in movement on the damaged section of the store structure starting from August 2023, compared to the long-term average for that area. This acceleration would have served as a clear warning sign regarding the stability of the store structure.

Additionally, satellite-based assessment revealed another current cluster of movement on the shopping centre's structure slightly north of the collapsed section of the Target store that on-site engineers might want to investigate.

Regular satellite-based monitoring by Value.Space would have alerted the relevant stakeholders to the warning signs highlighted above.

If you want to get in touch either in-person or virtually, then please reply to this email. We look forward to speaking with you soon!