Q1 fire fears remain unresolved
CLIMBING the Q1 supertower's steel spire is soon to become the Gold Coast's latest must-do attraction but grave safety concerns shroud the city's crowning high-rise.
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CLIMBING the Q1 supertower's steel spire is soon to become the Gold Coast's latest must-do attraction but grave safety concerns shroud the city's crowning high-rise.
Three years ago, one of the two fire escapes in the Surfers Paradise skyscraper was deemed defective as it could fill with smoke during a blaze.
Despite a subsequent drawn-out investigation by Queensland's building regulator, the Building Services Authority, the potentially life-threatening design flaw is yet to be fixed.
The BSA commissioned an engineering report, which confirmed the stairwell from levels 3 to 74 was defective. Builder Sunland was then issued with a "request to rectify" the defect within 28 days and that was more than two years ago.
But the BSA says Sunland has been "co-operating" and documents obtained by The Courier-Mail reveal an "alternate solution" now is being proposed for the 80-level tower.
It does not involve rectification works but rather is a process of showing - through fire engineering principles and evidence from a fire engineering report - that Q1 "as designed" satisfies the building code.
The BSA says due to its "uniqueness" Q1 already is subject to 18 alternate solutions.
"This is an entirely reasonable process ... becoming more common practice as buildings become more complex," it said.
Meanwhile, crowds of holidaymakers oblivious to the defective fire escape will fill Q1's lofty apartments and observation deck this summer. It is estimated at least 1500 people are in the building at any time but during peak periods this can increase to 2500.
In a few weeks, visitor numbers are expected to soar with the opening of the tower's rooftop attraction, Skypoint Climb, touted as Australia's highest external building walk.
Q1's defect relates to a so-called stairwell pressurisation system, which is meant to create enough airflow to prevent smoke from a fire-affected floor entering the stairwell.
Testing showed its north stairwell was compliant when both doors to the inter-connected goods lift shaft and stairwell were open at the same time. But when the door to the goods lift shaft was closed it was not.
However, the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service has declared that it "remains satisfied as to the safety of the building".