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SINGAPORE – Concrete fell from two piers, exposing reinforcing steel beams along the fourth floor corridor of Block 915 Tampines Street 91, raising concerns among residents that the falling concrete could injure passersby.
Large cracks are also showing in many concrete pillars and beams along the corridor, which has six units, Chinese night newspaper Lianhe Wanbao reported on Thursday (November 19).
A 20-year-old resident, who declined to be identified, told Wanbao that he noticed concrete fell off the pillar in front of his apartment and into his shoe rack earlier this year.
He said his family didn’t think much of it initially, but their concern grew when they noticed cracks in many of the pillars in recent months.
The resident also said that falling concrete could hit residents walking down the hall or even injure people coming down the stairs.
In response to inquiries from The Straits Times, a spokesperson for the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said Thursday that the cracks in the pillars do not affect the overall structural integrity of the building.
The authority added that it had inspected the affected block after being alerted to the comments on Tuesday, and has since instructed the city council to carry out the necessary rectification works.
The Tampines City Council has told ST that they have contacted the neighbors and have “managed the necessary rectification works.”
The city council added that the block is due to undergo repair and redecoration work next year.
“However, we will be inspecting the blocks in the vicinity to prevent something similar from happening,” he said.
[[nid:495335]]The affected block is 37 years old. According to Wanbao, the other floors do not face problems of falling concrete or cracking the pillars.
Another resident of the same block, who wanted to be known only as Mr. Lee, said cracks are also forming in the roof of his unit, which he has repaired several times over the past three years.
The 64-year-old, who works in the security industry, said he had previously spent about $ 6,000 to repair the roof, but that cracks reappeared this year.
He added that cracks in the roof have caused a change in downward pressure and as a result, he is unable to fully open one of his sliding windows.
This article was first published in The times of the strait. Permission is required for reproduction.
