Introduction
The owners of a 7-year condominium (Singapore) was concerned with the deterioration of the swimming pool deck surface with was finished with concrete imprint. The deck surface had started to breakout one year after issuance of temporary occupancy permit. The breakout started as a 10-cent coin blister hole and slowly enlarged to sizes ranging from 100 to 200 mm. The breakout was not only unpleasant aesthetically but posed a safety hazard to residents.
Lack of Maintenance or Negligence?
Based on market information of that particular brand of concrete imprint, there was a need for periodic maintenance of the surface. As the owners could not produce any record of maintenance, the case seemed lost initially.
Root of the problem…
To find the truth we literally get to the root of the problem by taking core samples to the base concrete of the pool deck. The cores were tested for compressive strength. The core material appeared visually friar and the strength was found to be below specified strength. Microscopy assessment supplemented the visual inspection of the top layers of substrate, cement mortar and final sealer. Delamination between the different layers below good surfaces confirmed shoddy workmanship during construction stage.
Outcome
The defect did not appear in isolation and appeared rather widespread. The underlying poor workmanship and lack of maintenance had definitely shortened the service life of the swimming pool flooring. Lack of maintenance is often cited as a defence against poor workmanship. Hence, as owner or property manager it is important to understand the maintenance requirement of your building system to prevent heavy repair bill or worse paying for somebody’s’ else faults. |
