In the article, “Hotel New World Collapse”, Lim (2009) discuss the events leading up to the collapse of Hotel New World, which was caused by a series of engineering faults and poor building management. Hotel New World was a multi-storey building that was constructed in 1971 and was located along Owen Road. According to Lim, the collapse of Hotel New World in 1986 was so devastating that it did not leave any walls and columns standing. After the collapse, rescue teams consisting of both local and foreign specialists were dispatched. Lim states that former president Wee Kim Wee "appointed a commission of inquiry" for the collapse investigation on 22 March 1986. Lim states that according to the investigation report, the primary reason for the collapse “was due to inadequate structural design of the building”. The additional installation on the roof also contributed and accelerated the collapse. The investigation report also mentioned that visible “cracks in the column, wall, and floor” were observed prior to the collapse. Further investigation shows that the team behind the construction consisted of unqualified personnel. Overall, the tragedy of the Hotel New World could have been prevented if there were proper construction guidelines to follow and maintenance of the building was carried out regularly. Lim has convincingly conveyed that both adequate structural design and proper building management are vital in maintaining the building’s structural integrity.
Proper building management is vital in maintaining the building’s structural integrity. According to Thean, Vijiaratnam, Lee, and Broms (1987), cracks of various sizes were found on 5 columns during the remodelling of a night club on the second floor by the contractor in 1980. He notified building owner Ng Khong Lim who instructed him to carry on without bothering about the cracks. In my opinion, cracks are a clear indication of a structure failing and if they are not rectified, it could lead to more complications. The report also states that when the same contractor returned to the nightclub in 1985 to wallpaper the columns, he claimed that new cracks are found on other columns. If Ng Khong Lim were to rectify the cracks as soon as he was informed, the integrity of the building would not deteriorate. It may also prevent the collapse of the Hotel New World.
The structural design of the building contributes to maintaining the building’s structural integrity. According to Thean, Vijiaratnam, Lee, and Broms (1987), the building was “grossly under-designed” and it is a miracle that it stood for 15 years before its collapse. If the structural design of the building is adequate, the building might still be standing today. As it still stood for 15 years despite being under-designed. This shows the importance of adequate structural design in maintaining the building’s structural integrity.
The structural design did not take into consideration the further installation of the building. According to Thean, Vijiaratnam, Lee, and Broms (1987), substantial loadings that were not included in the structural design were added to the building causing the building to be overloaded even more. Any installation on the building has to be considered during the designing phase such that there will be an allowance to ensure that the building will be able to support the load in the future. Or consult a professional to check with the building is to able to support such loadings. In my opinion, this is will ensure that the building will have adequate structural design and additional installation will not jeopardize the integrity of the building.
The collapse of the Hotel New World is an important lesson for us engineers. As it can be avoided if there are adequate structural design and proper building management.
References:
Lim Tin Seng (2011) Hotel New World collapse. Retrieved 10 February 2020, from https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_783__2009-01-02.html
Thean, L, Vijiaratnam, A, Lee, S., Broms, B (1987). Report of the Inquiry into the Collapse of Hotel New World, p. 21, 61, 62, 63. Retrieved on 10 February 2020,
No comments:
Post a Comment