Koh Chang hotel collapse - no piling and water flow caused subsidence

[webfact]

Koh Chang hotel collapse - no piling and water flow caused subsidence



KOH CHANG: An initial examination by engineers has shown that the hotel on Koh Chang that collapsed was due to a lack of piling and the hotel was built in an area of flowing water causing subsidence.

Siriwat Chaichana of the national engineering agency yesterday inspected the site of part of the Siam Beach Hotel that collapsed killing one woman and injuring five on Sunday.

It was found that water flowing down the hillside was not properly diverted with a drainage ditch resulting in it causing subsidence over a long period of time reported tnamcot. The foundation was found to be flat with no piling. Consequently it was not attached properly and was not strong enough to withstand collapse.

Further investigations will take place on June 10-11th but final conclusions may not be reached for between six months and a year. Questions still remain to be answered such as the culpability of the engineers responsible for the structure. If it can be shown that they did not follow the necessary regulations they face anything from a warning to the loss of their license to operate.

If they did not have a license in the first place they face up to 3 years jail, a 60,000 baht fine or both.

Source: tnamacot


-- 2016-06-07

[BSJ]

I bet the owners saved a heap of money when they built that.

[jaltsc]

"An initial examination by engineers has shown that the hotel on Koh Chang that collapsed was due to a lack of piling and the hotel was built in an area of flowing water causing subsidence."

Building Codes? We don't need no stinkin' building codes. “Trust me we are Thai”.

Edited June 6, 2016 by jaltsc

[Thechook]

Great job by the city engineers, planning and permits office. Surely they knew what the land was like before granting a building permit and what did the inspectors do during the construction inspections? Isn't a hotel or business required to have public liability insurance? If they did have insurance how on earth did they get it if the building didn't comply with building codes?

Edited June 6, 2016 by Thechook

[cumgranosalum]

So what about the buildings on either side?

Edited June 7, 2016 by cumgranosalum

[Dante99]

So what about the buildings on either side?

Just waiting for more rain.

[bluebluewater]

So essentially they just cleared the lot, skipped the part about any kind of foundation, and started bricking up. The ones on either side will have been built to the same standard.

[PoorSucker]

"they face anything from a warning to the loss of their license to operate."

So warning not to do it again it is....

[geriatrickid]

Thailand is such an exciting place.

[taony]

Great job by the city engineers, planning and permits office. Surely they knew what the land was like before granting a building permit and what did the inspectors do during the construction inspections? Isn't a hotel or business required to have public liability insurance? If they did have insurance how on earth did they get it if the building didn't comply with building codes?

Plus no culpability for them. Nice jobs they have.

[tuanku]

I suspect the resale value and insurability of that particular row of buildings just took a nose dive. Will the local authority order demolitions before more deaths occur?

[GAZZPA]

Great job by the city engineers, planning and permits office. Surely they knew what the land was like before granting a building permit and what did the inspectors do during the construction inspections? Isn't a hotel or business required to have public liability insurance? If they did have insurance how on earth did they get it if the building didn't comply with building codes?

The only thing that needed inspecting was the thickness of the brown envelope.

[Thaddeus]

So essentially they just cleared the lot, skipped the part about any kind of foundation, and started bricking up. The ones on either side will have been built to the same standard.

Pound to a penny that the ones currently being constructed and the next ones planned will be built to the same exacting standards.

Levels of safety improving? .... nope.... more money, less profit.

[neeray]

First: AMAZING THAILAND.

And now: TRUST ME WE ARE THAI.

Neither slogan will bring much comfort to the families of persons who died in a building collapse.

[elgordo38]

I bet the owners saved a heap of money when they built that.

I am sure that was the first thing they packed in their bag before doing a runner

[williamgeorgeallen]

So essentially they just cleared the lot, skipped the part about any kind of foundation, and started bricking up. The ones on either side will have been built to the same standard.

buildings on either side with no decent foundations are not a problem until they also fall down so no need to worry about them for now.

anyone remember the guy in esan who got his tiraks brother to build a house. was built without being piled and started cracking after a few months? he wanted to sue his brother in law. think this problem is fairly widespread.

[trogers]

That kind of soil, sandy with stiff clay, is probably not practical to drive in precast piles.

Spread footings would be more common, but the main error of designers here is in not ensuring proper drainage of storm waters that can erode the very soil the building stands on.

I found the same fault in a 5-star resort in Phuket about 20 years ago and had arrested this same problem. In the Phuket case, beams and floor slabs were developing cracks.

[webfact]

Siam Beach Resort building collapsed on poor construction standard and location on waterway



BANGKOK: -- The Engineering Institute of Thailand says poor construction standards and its location on waterway from the hill are causes of the fatal collapse of a building of the Siam Beach Resort hotel in Koh Chang.

Associated professor Siriwat Chaichana revealed the cause of the building collapse that killed one people and injured seven others after the site inspection of the resort hotel.

Initial inspection found that the resort was built on a waterway that flowed down from the hill.

There was no barrier to divert the water flow, thus enabling to stream to directly erode the soil where the building was located.

Besides, the building had no supporting poles underground, but slablike footing thus making the structure not strong enough.

When the soil was eroded for years by water from the hill directly to the building with no barrier to divert the waterflow, it then collapsed.

Other factors are substandard structure, substandard supervision of construction and design engineering work added to the causes of collapse, he said.

But he said intensive finding to the exact cause could take six months to one year.

He also said if the design engineer had no license, he could face maximum three years in jail and 60,000 baht fine.

Siam Beach Resort hotel has paid 50,000 baht compensation, and Trat Red Cross 5,000 baht for the family of the dead.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/166350

-- Thai PBS 2016-06-07

[PETERTHEEATER]

.......such as the culpability of the engineers responsible for the structure...........

Somchai & Co Un-limited?

[GAZZPA]

Notice how the authorities will point out the problem as if we are all to say "well done, you solved it". Absolutely nowhere that I have seen does it say the building code regulations will get an overhaul.

Surely, this is the most important thing, to review the building code regulations and enforcement of regulations. There are many things that Thailand does not do properly, we all know that but making shoddy buildings with poor foundations cannot be tolerated as people simply die when it goes wrong, and no stupid helpline is going to fool anyone with half a brain that they actually care.

[robblok]

I am a bit amazed why the hotel owners themselves are not liable. Unless they can prove they instructed the engineer to make a safe structure.

They might have used a brown enveloppe, and giving 50.000 baht to the family of the deceased is an insult.

[inzman]

Notice how the authorities will point out the problem as if we are all to say "well done, you solved it". Absolutely nowhere that I have seen does it say the building code regulations will get an overhaul.

Surely, this is the most important thing, to review the building code regulations and enforcement of regulations. There are many things that Thailand does not do properly, we all know that but making shoddy buildings with poor foundations cannot be tolerated as people simply die when it goes wrong, and no stupid helpline is going to fool anyone with half a brain that they actually care.

Actually a stupid headline is all that is ever offered after a catastrophe in this country. There is never anything learned, and past mistakes are painstakingly repeated. There is never any proactive change. It's the culture here. Money number one. Get use to it, if you can't maybe Asia is not the place to live. It's just not worth it to get all riled up over something that will not change. It is very sad.

[biplanebluey]

So what about the buildings on either side?

You wait your turn

[Jonmarleesco]

So much for planning permission. Useless without building regulations and enforcement.

[ratcatcher]

A B50,000 settlement seems appropriate given the quality of the resort.

http://www.siambeachresort.in.th/

[Stargeezr]

I spent a weekend at Koh Chang a few years ago, and am glad that I stayed

in a place away from the hills. It is sad that a tourist and other people

were injured and killed. Shame on the lax building with no

pilings to keep the hotel from collapsing. Shameful.

Geezer

[HenryB]

Thailand is such an exciting place.

If you need a building code go to Switzerland German England or even the United States.

[GAZZPA]

I am a bit amazed why the hotel owners themselves are not liable. Unless they can prove they instructed the engineer to make a safe structure.

They might have used a brown enveloppe, and giving 50.000 baht to the family of the deceased is an insult.

Agree,,, sorry for you dead relative here is enough money to buy a scooter!

[cumgranosalum]

Thailand is such an exciting place.

If you need a building code go to Switzerland German England or even the United States.

it would seem they need one here?

[cumgranosalum]

the problem with KC is there is no room. THe island has a mountainous centre - national park - and only a relatively small amount of flat land on which to build.....it also has limited beaches which is where people want to build. I understand that building on an incline of over 19% isn't permissible either so people have for the past few years just been digging back into the hills surrounding places like Whitesands in the hope to get just a few more square metres to build on...... it is inevitable that this sort of stuff will occur - it isn't the first instance either.....

if you look at the island from a distance (e.g. in a boat) you can see patches of sand "cracks" in amongst the green where landslips have occurred or are taking place - often you can see the building below that has started this process.

Edited June 9, 2016 by cumgranosalum