As early as 2,000 years ago, the great Roman architect Vitruvius wrote that wooden piles must be driven down into mud or waterlogged ground and buried completely in order to create a stable foundation for buildings. A new thesis from the University of Gothenburg shows that wooden pile foundations show visible damage after only a year if the groundwater level lowers.
source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/a-small-lowering-of-the-groundwater-level-can-destroy-house-foundations
