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The collapse of a ventilation shaft in a cinema in the Nex shopping center was likely due to waterlogged insulation material whose weight had overstressed the duct supports, according to preliminary findings from the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).
The August 30 incident, which occurred in a Shaw Theaters movie theater, left two viewers injured.
The investigations are ongoing and are expected to be completed by the end of October, the National Development Ministry (MND) said in a written response on Monday to a parliamentary question from Mr. Melvin Yong (Radin Mas).
BCA had found that “a significant amount of water had accumulated in the layer of acoustic material that surrounded the air conditioning and mechanical ventilation (ACMV) duct.”
Most likely, the added weight caused the supports holding the conduit to give way.
The acoustic material surrounding the duct serves to regulate the temperature of the surface around the duct to prevent the formation of water by condensation and to isolate noise caused by the air flowing through the duct.
BCA has alerted other theater operators to inspect their ACMV ducts and carry out maintenance and repair work when necessary, MND added.
BCA will also assess what additional steps need to be taken to prevent such incidents from recurring, once it has completed its investigation.
Associate Professor Daniel Wong from the School of Design and Environment at the National University of Singapore said the accumulation of water could come from a leaking water pipe, a waterproofing defect that allows water to enter, or prolonged condensation due to to changes in temperature.
These events are common in abandoned or poorly maintained buildings, he noted.
Professor Wong emphasized that to avoid such failures, scheduled inspections and regular maintenance should be performed.
When contacted, a Nex spokesperson said it is assisting its tenant, Shaw Theaters, to carry out rectification work.
The mall, which is owned and managed by Gold Ridge, said it will “continue to work with regulatory bodies to ensure this is resolved as soon as possible and preventative measures are in place.”
Nex declined to say whether it is checking other ACMV ducts in the building for similar problems.
Building owners are responsible by law for the maintenance of their buildings, including interior fittings.
Shaw Theaters said it conducted inspections of its six cineplexes after the incident as a precautionary measure, and all were found to be safe.
Golden Village Cinemas (GV) said they carried out a round of inspection and maintenance checks with BCA officials, following the authority’s recommendations. This was in addition to the scheduled inspections and maintenance.
A GV spokesperson added that the air conditioning ducts in cinemas are designed to be placed away from seating areas.
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