Bangkok's New Airport Has Cement Flaws in floors

[nogutsnoapplepie]

Several cracks have been found on the second and fourth floors of Suvarnabhumi airport's terminal building as construction workers race to get the job done by the deadline of Sept 29 next year.

Sources said the cracks were found on floor tiles and the cement surfaces underneath on two floors of the terminal building. Some were up to five metres long.

In the level-four departures hall, cracks were found on tiles near the first check-in counter and between the second and third counters. Several cracks were also found in the second-floor arrivals hall.

Sources said the two floors were probably the most important levels of the airport because they had to be strong enough to absorb the weight of both passengers and their luggage.

The problem underlines worries by the Thai Concrete Association, which last month warned of safety risks and long-term structural problems if construction was rushed.

The warning came after the roof of a terminal building at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris collapsed on May 23, killing four people, and the collapse of part of a new terminal being built at Dubai airport in the United Arab Emirates on Sept 27.

The accident at the French airport prompted New Bangkok International Airport to call an urgent meeting to assess safety at Suvarnabhumi.

The concourses at the two airports were similar in their tube-like shape and use of glass in the roof and walls, although the buildings were designed by different firms.

At Suvarnabhumi, workers are fixing the cracks in the cement surfaces by pouring more cement into them, according to the sources, who said they were fixing the problem the wrong way.

In the next three to five months cracks would return if they were not repaired properly. ''The poor construction quality of the arrivals hall will give visitors a bad first impression,'' the sources said.

A construction engineer who requested anonymity said the cracks in the cement were probably the result of an over-stretch of cement rather than the quality of materials.

Cement topping over-stretch caused cracks on the tiles, he added. ''There are ways to repair the problems and they still have time to do it. But engineers, designers and architects must sit down to solve the problems together,'' he added.

The 155-billion-baht airport project in Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan province, is being built to serve 45 million passengers and Suvarnabhumi's single terminal building will be the world's biggest once it is running.

It is designed by the Murphy Jahn/TAM/ACT consortium. The ITO Joint Venture comprising Italian-Thai Development of Thailand and two Japanese construction giants, Takenaka and Obayashi, are building the airport terminal.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra inspected the airport on Sept 26 and 27 and admitted the airport opening might be delayed.

The government has cut costs by increasing the amount of local materials used, but Srisook Chandrangsu, chairman of the New Bangkok International Airport, an agency responsible for the project, assured the change would not affect quality.

Responding to the questions by the Bangkok Post, Mr Srisook said he had not been told about the cracks. However, sources said several authorities, including the NBIA, had been alerted but nobody paid attention.

The NBIA chairman said construction consultants would be responsible for ensuring quality before the project was handed over to the NBIA.

''I am confident the cracks will have no effect on the project or the safety of the airport. They can be repaired,'' he said.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/20Nov2004_news03.php

[Axel]

Sources said the two floors were probably the most important levels of the airport because they had to be strong enough to absorb the weight of both passengers and their luggage.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

this gave me a bit of a chuckle, solution easy, passengers should not come with luggage and overweight pax are to be refused....

[cojones]

oh oh , its usual that on jobs like this suppliers cut back on cement quality ...to save a few bahts into someones pocket

they are all on the fiddle ,hahaha

[stumonster]

as if this was not to be expected.

not to worry , now the new airport building will match the rest of the bangkok highrises

though with all the pigeon folding going on there might be a shortage of material required to paper over these cracks.

do wisecracks occur because of poor quality controls?

[Gazza]

not to worry , now the new airport building will match the rest of the bangkok highrises

That's right Stu, A good coat of white paint to hide the cracks and at the same time creating nice lightning bolt patterns to make it easier on the eyes.

[george]

Bangkok's new airport has cement flaws

BANGKOK: -- Thai authorities are investigating several cracks found at Bangkok's newest airport, the Bangkok Post reported Saturday.

Cracks in concrete were found on two floors of Suvarnabhumi airport's terminal building, under construction by workers who are trying to get the facility completed by Sept. 29, 2005.

Sources said the cracks, some of which were nearly 20 feet long, were found on floor tiles and the cement surfaces underneath.

The disclosures follow last month's warning from the Thai Concrete Association concerning safety risks and long-term structural problems if construction was rushed.

A construction engineer who requested anonymity said the cracks in the cement are probably the result of spreading cement too thinly, rather than a defect in cement quality.

The new airport is being built to serve 45 million passengers, and its single terminal building is expected to be the world's largest.

--Big News Network 2004-11-20

[astral]

More haste less speed.

Now who was urging the contractors to get the job done on time???

He even spent a night at the site....................

[Thetyim]

Yes, but he slept in a tent I think

Probably already knew about the cracks

[marquess]

Can't they get anything right?!

[dugdig]

Did you ever see the cracks in the rivet heads in the wing of the airplane you were riding in over the ocean? Next time you have a wing seat check it out!

[eljeque]

Does anyone out there know anything about construction?

I would bet that the weight of the floors is 10 times the weight of the passengers and luggage that they must support.

Does anyone know for sure?

[dugdig]

Does anyone out there know anything about construction?

  I would bet that the weight of the floors is 10 times the weight of the passengers and luggage that they must support.

  Does anyone know for sure?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm a licensed professional engineer in the USA. Structures is not my specialty but I understand the basics.

Virtually all concrete will develop cracks. Cracks can be anywhere from being totally insignificant to being an indication of imminent failure. It depends on where the cracks are found, how big they are (length, depth, width), and how and why they formed. There is not enough information given for me to even make a guess as to the seriousness of the cracks as reported. Having read articles about other structural failures in Thailand I doubt that there ever will be enough information released to find out exactly what the problem is...I'd be really interested in finding out but probably won't. I already have thought of a likely scenerio as to why the cracks appeared but won't bore you with the engineering details...especially because its just a wild guess since I don't have the needed information.

The weight of the cement is just as important as the weight of the occupants in calculating the load on the floor. I don't know enough to know which is greater but they are both crucial. The added strength needed to accomodate the occupants is much greater than just their weight. If they should all start jumping up and down together (dancing?) then the load imposed on the structure is MUCH greater than their weight...especially if resonance is not considered in the structural design. When large columns of soldiers cross small but long bridges they never march because this can cause resonance to build up in the bridge and cause failure.

[Darknight]

Can't they get anything right?!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And you need an answer to this one ???

No they can't

[cdnvic]

Don't know for sure but I work with the stuff every day and there are three basic truisms about concrete:

1. It will crack

2. You can't stop it

3. It probably wont matter structurally

If they are just filling in the cracks it should just be superficial cracking and the cracks need filling so that moisture and oxygen won't rust the steel in the floor.

Then again.... I've seen the quality of concrete going into lesser buildings and it makes me wonder.

cv

[ProfessorFart]

Several cracks have been found on the second and fourth floors of Suvarnabhumi airport's terminal building as construction workers race to get the job done by the deadline of Sept 29 next year.

You don't really need to read past that line! Thailand always sets itself deadlines for engineering projects they never keep. Look at the Skytrain and the Underground!

[dugdig]

Can't they get anything right?!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And you need an answer to this one ???

No they can't

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Now wait a minute. They got floors #1 and #3 right!!!