A day care centre, several of the city’s busiest car parks and the new No.1 Sportsground are three of 18 landmark structures two local businessmen claim are at risk of cracking or collapsing in a scenario similar to Sydney’s failed Opal Tower.
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Craig Thorley and Chris Rafferty believe there are numerous buildings across Maitland, in fact all over the country, made from reinforced masonry blocks that have been approved by certifiers when they do not comply to Australian building standards.
They claim buildings are non-compliant because rebars (steel rods which reinforce masonry walls) have been placed incorrectly or moved during core filling, compromising wall strength and durability, causing them to crack, leach rust and possibly collapse.
While the men have manufactured and patented a device they said would remedy the problem, they have brought the matter to Fairfax Media’s attention as an issue of public safety.
The men behind the company BlockAid, have tested masonry work on 18 Maitland buildings and claim to have received a 100 per cent strike rate in terms of the structures being non-compliant. They also tested McDonald Jones Stadium, the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Pacific Fair Shopping Centre and buildings in Sydney. They said these were all non-compliant after being checked with a Profoscope, a device to locate steel bars within reinforced masonry walls.
Mr Thorley and Mr Rafferty have produced and patented “bar chairs” for block work (or reinforced masonry) – the most commonly used material for major building structures. The bar chairs sit inside masonry blocks, correctly positioning rebars before inspection – holding them in place while core fill is poured into the hollow blocks. They believe builders, governments and certifiers must be put on notice.
“The Opal Tower defects raise the possible shortcomings of certification in the construction industry,” Mr Rafferty said. “The scale of this issue is significant with these walls used in high rises, child care centres, hospitals, shopping centres, stadiums, multi-level car parks, elevator shafts and homes.”
An Australian Institute of Building Surveyors spokesperson said the institute is not involved in product verification and has no knowledge of the matter so it was inappropriate to comment.
A spokesperson for NSW Finance, Services and Innovation said accredited certifiers inspect a development at specific ‘critical stages’ of building work, but this does not include an inspection of masonry work. “A builder is responsible for carrying out all work under the Building Code of Australia (BCA) and relevant Australian Standards.
“The industry is not responding and these walls are still being constructed without compliance but are being certified as being compliant,” Mr Rafferty said.
“We believe the practice of certifying non-compliant reinforced masonry walls must be urgently addressed. We appreciate that fixing the reinforcement is problematic requiring demolition and rebuilding but in the interest of public safety something has to be done,” he said.
