Certain measures need to be taken during construction to make sure the safety and durability of a building are not compromised

I am motivated to write by the deep sadness I feel after a number of families in Ħamrun had to evacuate their apartments, deemed dangerous. It is more likely than not that such a deplorable situation is due to human error and omissions.

The normal procedures in constructing any building would be that the developer engages an architect to design his proposed building and obtain the relative building permit from the Planning Authority. Once the permit is issued, the developer engages a builder to carry out the project on a set of agreed terms and conditions.

It is pertinent to note that in the Maltese language kuntrattur refers to the builder. In English, a contractor could be any person engaged to provide something at a contracted price.

The following measures, among others, should be taken in the construction of a building of whatever nature and size, if its durability and safety factors are not to be compromised.

The architect responsible for the project must engage an approved firm, at the expense of the developer, to provide him with a geotechnical investigation of the land on which the proposed structure is to be erected. This would enable the architect to design a project, including the foundations, suitable for the investigated terrain.

Prior to the commencement of any work, the developer must agree on a monthly rate with the health and safety organisation to send their representative on site, to check that statutory safety measures are continuously served.

For the majority of developers, who build to sell for a profit, once the statutory period of 15 years elapses peacefully, nothing else matters to them

Once the works have commenced, the architect must visit the site weekly. Visits at such frequency are essential, because nowadays, with the type of machinery available to builders, and with the advanced methods of construction, very pronounced progress is normal.

If the architect is not able to conduct such visits, he or she must procure the service of a project manager at the expense of the developer, as such inspections would be in their interest, as well as in the interest of whoever is buying the building.

The project manager would be a member of an organisation set up by the government on basic lines similar to those referred to for testing lifts and monitoring health and safety measures on work sites.

The project manager would need to be knowledgeable about construction, especially in reinforced concrete structures. The number of visits conducted would be determined by the architect, and it would not be permissible for the developer to contest their decision.

One of the major duties of the project manager would be to ascertain that the builder follows the approved drawings, including detail drawings that would not form part of the drawings approved by the Planning Authority but would be sine qua non for the execution of the project.

Such detail drawings would be issued by the architect pari passu with the progress of the project and should be copied to the project manager.

These fees would be borne by the developer.

Another duty would be to take samples of all the concrete brought on site to test its crushing strength and check that its grade conforms with that specified. These charges would be borne by the builder.

If the concrete tested proves to be below the specified strength, the architect would be notified by the project manager and it would have to be broken up and replaced by another consignment of concrete. These fees would be borne by the builder.

The steel reinforcement to be used in reinforced concrete structures should also have its tensile strength tested to comply with that considered by the architect in his design and calculations of reinforced concrete structures. These fees would be borne by the builder.

Other checks and responsibilities include checking the stability of the formwork in preparation of the placing of concrete, checking the statutory thickness of the concrete cover over the steel reinforcement, being on site during the placing of concrete for casting reinforced concrete structures, ensuring that the concrete is vibrated and not left to spin in the truck-mixer for a long time, to not permit the addition of water to make concrete more workable, to check that concrete surfaces are cured by the builder during summer. These fees would be borne by the developer.

Wherever the aforesaid measures and procedures have not been observed, the integrity of the structure has been compromised to an extent that its durability is curtailed considerably.

One should not lose sight of the fact that for the majority of developers, who build to sell for a profit, once the statutory period of 15 years elapses peacefully, nothing else matters to them.

Joseph Xuereb is an architect and civil engineer.