JCC wants urgent answers from HDC

...on structural failure at Las Alturas Published: Sunday, June 3, 2012

One of the damaged units of Las Alturas apartment complex, Lady Young Road, Morvant, which belongs to the Housing Development Corporation. PHOTO: MARCUS GONZALES The Joint Consultative Council for the Construction Industry (JCC) is calling on the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) to launch an urgent investigation to determine what led to the structural failure of Las Alturas apartment complex at Lady Young Road in Morvant. The JCC said the HDC must stop the proposed demolition to secure the necessary samples of the foundation and structural elements. HDCs managing director Jearlean John told reporters on Tuesday the demolition of the $26 million complex was a big loss. However, JCC president Afra Raymond, in a three-page letter to John dated May 31, raised concerns about how the investigation should be done. He offered two of the JCCs expert members to be part of an investigating team and also representatives from several other organisations. Among some of the questions he raised were: Who/what entity was responsible for contract administration? Was Osha given consent? Was the building constructed to the design specifications?/What documents are there to confirm this? What method of procurement was used for the delivery of this building? Who/what entity prepared the brief for the geotechnical investigation? Raymond said, While it is true that this project commenced under the previous administration, the matter of public responsibility requires that we go further to ask whether the HDCs practices have been changed since then. He said the JCC was deeply concerned about the demolition of the building which was built by China Jiangsu International Corporation.