Opal Tower interim report finds building still needs ‘significant rectification works’
THE Opal Tower building will require “significant rectification works” to repair and strengthen damaged beams, according to independent engineering experts appointed by the NSW government to investigate the fiasco.
A NUMBER of design and construction flaws are believed to be responsible for causing “major damage” to parts of Opal Tower, according to an independent report commissioned by the NSW government.
And experts are now advising residents from the newly-built tower to delay moving back in until further investigations are carried out — despite it being declared structurally sound.
Around 300 residents were evacuated from the 36-storey Sydney Olympic Park building on Christmas Eve after cracking and a loud “bang” was reported.
Professors Mark Hoffman and John Carter today said their interim report confirmed the building was structurally sound but would require “significant rectification works” to repair key beams that are damaged.
They were joined by NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts, Department of Planning Secretary Carolyn McNally and body corporate chair Shady Eskander.
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“While we have isolated the probable cause to localised structural design and construction issues, we need more information to make definitive conclusions about the cause or causes of the damage,” the professors said.
The professors said their investigation focused on levels 3, 4, 9, 10, 16, and 26 and found “major damage” on concrete hob beams — and in some cases the panels that rest on them — on levels 4 and 10.
They said preliminary consideration of the “bearing capacities” of hob beams on those levels “indicate factors of safety lower than required by Standards”.
There were also a number of points on Level 10 “where construction differed from design and/or standards” including issues with grout coverage, an “incomplete” dowel bar and concrete panels that were manufactured too wide.
Mr Eskander said it was his opinion that the building should be “emptied and checked completely so that the safety and wellbeing of residents can be guaranteed”.
“We have suffered … people were buying into the Australian dream and unfortunately this has become the Australian nightmare for us,” Mr Eskander said.
“The tree is not going to fall but the branches are cracking.”
Mr Roberts said reoccupation was ultimately a “matter between residents and the builder”.
“I completely understand the residents’ reluctance in some cases to move back into what is essentially going to be for sometime a building site,” he said.
The professors also agree “in principle” with a staged rectification plan proposed by design engineering firm WSP but said major work should not begin until the plan was checked by “independent and qualified structural engineers”.
WSP is investigating the incident on behalf of builder Icon.
Prof Hoffman said it was difficult to say how long this would take but there’s a chance it could “stretch over many weeks” to complete.
WSP chief executive officer Guy Templeton said: “I think it’s always an idea to have independent reviews of any of this sort of work and in many parts of Australia that’s standard practice”.
Bassam Aflak, the director of developer Ecove, said his first thoughts were for the welfare of residents.
“We need this problem to be fixed, and the residents deserve to be in their homes,” he said in a statement.
Ecove has previously said Icon has “full liability” on the design and construction of Opal Tower.
However, Icon declined to comment on the report.
Opposition Leader Michael Daley said he was concerned the mistakes made at Opal Tower could be “replicated at other high-rise buildings going up all over the city”.
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