Proper driving of piles during the construction of medium and high-rise buildings needs to be taken seriously according to a local engineer.
The engineer who requested anonymity told Stabroek News in a recent interview that there are several pile-driving techniques which every engineer and contractor should know about before commencing building construction. However, the engineer said that the onus is on the builder to ensure that there is a proper foundation. A medium-rise building generally has three to five storeys, while a high-rise building has five or more.
The engineer explained that all foundation designs for medium and high-rise buildings have to be certified by a qualified engineer before building approval can be granted.
There should also be a greater emphasis on our building codes, the engineer said.
“It must be noted too that in constructing any medium or high-rise building, the use of large piles is highly recommended. In the cases of most of those high-rise buildings that are being constructed no geo-technical investigation is being done.
“That is how you find the foundations are shorting and that’s how they collapse after a period of time… that generally is a major problem across the board; no one is doing any investigations. They are supposed to drive piles if you are constructing a building greater than three stories,” the engineer said.
A source had told this newspaper earlier that in the construction of high buildings, driving piles is of great importance, as it makes for a very strong foundation and provides an underground structural base which supports the building. The source added that it is by driving and embedding piles of wood, concrete or steel into the soil, contractors are able to furnish strong support.
In February, City Engineer Colvern Venture had told this newspaper that the department had made it mandatory for geo-technical work to be carried out and a report done before any building could take place. He had said that this report along with a foundation design had to be submitted to the council.
In 2003, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards had established several building codes to be used by contractors and engineers.
According to the GNBS code of practice for medium and high-rise buildings, before construction begins, site investigations must be undertaken. These include a preliminary and a detailed investigation. “When a preliminary site investigation indicates poor subsurface conditions, a two stage investigation shall be conducted and the foundation design shall be based on the calculations,” the code states.
Recently, many persons have expressed safety concerns over certain medium and high-rise buildings under construction as well as some which have already been constructed without a proper foundation.
Stabroek News understands that one such building where it is alleged no proper foundation piles were driven, and which is now leaning is located opposite the Georgetown Public Hospital. According to several staffers of the hospital, “This building look like it gon fall down any time and when that happen is problem here. Like it ain got no proper foundation cause it jus leaning.”
In an invited comment, an engineer told this newspaper that the building is “a little threatening how it is leaning, because if it happens to fall it will fall and take down three or four other buildings with it.”
He went on to say, “This building could be leaning for a number of reasons, including poor foundation design.”
On February 12 in a photo caption, this newspaper had reported that a three-storey building on the corner of North Road and Oronoque Street was currently in the process of being demolished. Stabroek News understands that while construction started some time ago, it was only recently that it was discovered that the building was sinking. A source had told this newspaper that the building was being taken down because of its poor foundation. “The building doesn’t have any piles so the building is sinking. We decided to take it down for the safety of citizens,” the source said. It is not clear if the building will be reconstructed.
Another building at Joseph Pollydore Street and Mandela Avenue has also raised questions after it was discovered that no piles had been driven for its foundation.
Subsequently, the ground floor was knocked out and remedial foundation works are currently under way.
