Cause of Phuket wall collapse that killed three still unknown

[MK1]

Phuket Gazette-June 11, 2014-11:21AM - Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET-Police have not yet determined the cause of a wall collapse at a construction site yesterday that killed three Myanmar nationals….See more on this story at http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Cause-Phuket-wall-collapse-killed-three-unknown/30779#ad-image-4

Edited June 11, 2014 by MK1

[crazygreg44]

Why does it take police or engineers to determine the cause, when it is so easy . . . . .just look at the picture, it gives you a good idea on how bad and weak the foundations were layed out into sandy and loose ground, prior to erecting a wall of these dimensions.

Edited June 11, 2014 by crazygreg44

[MK1]

Why does it take police or engineers to determine the cause, when it is so easy . . . . .just look at the picture, it gives you a good idea on how bad and weak the foundations were layed out into sandy and loose ground, prior to erecting a wall of these dimensions.

Well said. Beyond me also why police or engineers are reluctant to point their finger at causation, in this circumstance, when the photographic evidence appears to be before our eyes.

Alternatively, the headline caption should perhaps be “Collapse of non-reinforced cement brick retaining wall”.

Edited June 11, 2014 by MK1

[DLock]

Agree, this was a disaster waiting to happen.

Land is too steep. Wall is too high and not stepped. Poor foundations. Not tied into hillside. Look's like interlinked blocks with little cement. Wall too thin. No drainage holes.

Basically poorly designed, poorly constructed and now there is 3 families who have lost a member.

Terrible.

[snottgoblin]

Doubt there will be anyone willing to take responsibility for this tragedy.

[Rooo]

Moved to Phuket forum.

[nedkellylives]

Typical of the building standards here

Get the plans approved then build on the cheap with no inspections

I know of a wall and floor tiler and a brickies labourer who call themselves builders in phuket

[eezergood]

Nothing over 30 degree incline i think the law states.........

[Pollywaffle]

Scarey and sad. There is a new retaining wall several metres high on the road past Mining Museum toward Patong that scares the hell out of me. Already showing cracks.

[MK1]

Scarey and sad. There is a new retaining wall several metres high on the road past Mining Museum toward Patong that scares the hell out of me. Already showing cracks.

Prior to 2008, Phuket and Thailand in general, took a pro-active approach to the issue of civil geotechnical preventive measures such as addressing the issue of landslides before commencing construction works.

When big boulders started to roll down the hill into Patong resorts in 2011 as result of construction civil works above them this became an early wakeup call that Construction companies no longer took any care or responsibility for their actions even if it affected your neighbor as a consequence.

See that story here http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Rolling-boulders-crash-Phuket-resort/10597#ad-image-0

Perhaps one of the main reasons is that many main-contractors or in particular their clients are reluctant to engage the services of geotechnical civil engineers to assess and later sign off on the works, before commencing, due to the costs associated plus not to mention the costly remediation works involved thereafter. These days, everyone who wants something built on the ‘cheap’ which usually excludes the factors of ‘quality and safety’.

Edited June 12, 2014 by MK1

[JetsetBkk]

<snip>

When big boulders started to roll down the hill into Patong resorts in 2011 as result of construction civil works above them this became an early wakeup call that Construction companies no longer took any care or responsibility for their actions even if it affected your neighbor as a consequence.

<snip>

Glad I wasn't riding a bike when this one came down.

.