building failure in UK 1

[Alistair_Heaton]

Balcony's came off.

linked to this news source as it has some decent sized pictures.

https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/new...k-saw-my-car-crushed-under-the-rubble-4440125

Relatively new development.

 

[spsalso]

In looking at the pictures, it appears there was a layer of concrete applied over the first one. The lower one has pink paint on the upper surface. And there's concrete on top of it.

Or so it appears to me.

Again, a reminiscence of Champlain Towers, and their pool deck.


spsalso

PS: What could that piece of angle iron be for--the one with the bolt tabs added onto it?

 

[TugboatEng]

In the photos posted I don't see anything that would lead me to believe corrosion is a factor in this failure.

 

[Sym P. le]

It appears that the upper balcony was improperly constructed. I don't see indications of an upper rebar mat. If a crack opened up, corrosion would finish off the rebar.

The lower balconey, though looking sketchy, was likely demolished when struck by the upper one. Better images of the upper level would be helpful.

How do you advise the owner/occupants for a path forward?

 

[Tomfh]

Exclusion zone until balconies propped to ground

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

can anyone see any brick keying on the balcony walls to main walls or brick ties into the main load bearing?

 

[LittleInch]

I thought those brown marks were brick ties, but I now think they just mortared up to the wall....

A common number seems to be 60 psf for things like this. I reckon those balconies are no more than 5 ft square being generous so 25 ft2 x 60 = 1500lbs or 700 kg. I reckon that double brick wall and the extra tiles are at least 1500kg.

Really bad design IMHO.

The others will need supports underneath as elbow braces or demolished and installation of Juliet balconies instead.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

I suspect the scree layer won't be in the load plan either.

Maybe the original load plan was for metal railings. And then the architect changed it to brick walls and didn't run the cycle again.

The rest of the building owners I suspect will be in for a load of hurt as well, Building control inspections of the other balcony's and remedial work.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

Wonder what work was being done on the other side.

Just noticed pretty major scaffolding. Should help with inspections and remedial work though....

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.8...5vBgKNDJBko8xhQw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

See if that works. The street view shows it prior to failure in reasonable detail.

 

[LittleInch]

These are the highest resolution images I can find

https://twitter.com/brightonsnapper/status/1733527838752375266

building turns out to be >30 years old.

From what I can see the top 2nd floor balcony had a large amount of extra flooring / fill added at some point, maybe to enhance drainage fall which seems to be all into one corner against the wall about double the thickness of the original slab with its weedy reinforcement.

Amazing it stood that long.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

the roof does look 30 years old.

 

[Tomfh]

can anyone see any brick keying on the balcony walls to main walls or brick ties into the main load bearing?

I thought those brown marks were brick ties, but I now think they just mortared up to the wall....

As is common for cantilever balcony slabs. Tying the balustrade to the structure causes issues when the cantilevered balconies sag the normal amount.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

I bow to your experience sir. Thanks for pointing the issue out.

 

[FacEngrPE]

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.8266379,-0.19064...

[ul]
[li]April 2009 (as far into the past street view can look at this address) the balcony is same configuration as present.[/li]
[li]The scaffold is not present in March 2019[/li]
[li]Images captured in Oct 2020 and April 2021 show the scaffold.[/li]
[li]The scaffold is gone by June 2023[/li]
[/ul]

Construction Management News "Balconies collapse at seafront block of apartments in East Sussex" 11 Dec 2023. "Prince of Wales Court was developed by Croudace Homes in the late 1980s."
So not all that old.

 

[Paperandpencil]

The scaffolding may have been provided to enable timber to be removed from the underside of the balconies. I think that the report page 1 should say timber slats and not 'slates'.

[URL unfurl="true"]https://res.cloudinary.com/engineering-com/image/upload/v1702480433/tips/BH2023_01252-PLANNING_STATEMENT-19000529_fsmgfj.pdf[/url]

 

[IRstuff]

Balconies are notoriously unreliable; there was infamous incident where several students died when the apartment balcony collapsed:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley_balcony_collapse

along with ET's thread hread507-389528

Waterproofing is very difficult to maintain, but critical to ensuring structural integrity

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg

faq731-376 forum1529 Entire Forum list

http://www.eng-tips.com/forumlist.cfm

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

You should see the ones in ex soviet built buildings where I am.

They enclose them to boot and turn them into an extra room.

 

[spsalso]

An interesting report regarding the Berkeley balcony collapse (takes awhile to download):

Link

After lots and lots of speculation (and nothing wrong with that), it's nice to see what appears to be some fact based conclusions.



spsalos

 

[3DDave]

IRstuff - your link to the previous thread is missing the "t" so it's not a link.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

Seems to be the main issue with the aerated concrete panels problem as well and lack of maint and water proofing.