The government said the report supports an initial evaluation by the advisory last week that there was not an immediate safety risk to residents.
Loading
Apart from the urgent measures to monitor the building, the government engineers have recommended “non-conformance” concerns raised in the report by the Rothshire engineer hired by the owners be investigated within the next three months.
They recommended 3D modelling of the tower’s structure to determine whether it can withstand earthquakes, as well as a plan to repair “all structural faults”.
Public Works has also recommended Toplace’s structural consultant focus on “all short-term and long-term safety related matters” and prepare a remediation plan “as required for long-term stability, durability and serviceability of the building for its remaining life”.
Toplace said it had not been provided a copy of the Public Works Advisory report, and declined to comment further.
NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler gave his full backing to the agency’s report, which he said detailed a list of immediate, urgent and long-term recommendations.
“Among these include a monitoring program to start immediately to easily identify any future issues,” he said. “The report also requires a rectification plan and schedule to repair all structural faults.”
Mr Chandler said the watchdog would also start an audit of the tower’s occupation certificate, which would involve a review of designs and documents for building work as well as an on-site inspection to review its structure, waterproofing, fire-rating systems, and external enclosures.
Apartment owner Corrie Ford.Credit:Janie Barrett
Corrie Ford, who owns a two-bedroom apartment in the tower, said the government’s involvement had highlighted that the building had “serious structural problems” and urgent remediation work was needed.
“We are pretty happy that the government has responded in the way it has,” she said. “We want the government to ensure that the developer keeps to the timeframes in the report.”
Loading
Unit owners in the Vicinity complex launched legal action against Toplace and a related company in the NSW Supreme Court in late 2018 over alleged defects.
In their latest report, the Public Works Advisory engineers have also recommended balustrade cracking and instances of water pouring into the three-level basement car park of the 10-storey building be investigated within the next six months.
They said they found during their inspection last Wednesday visible signs of cracking in a beam under columns, as well as “significant water ingress and leak problems” that would likely cause long-term structural steel corrosion and serviceability problems.
Urgent monitoring of structural cracks in Sydney apartment tower
Source: Philippines Alive
