A recent concrete quality blitz unearthed defects in more than 10 buildings across four major metropolitan regions in NSW.
Building Commission NSW has revealed its inspectors targeted specific sites in Wollongong, the Central Coast, Newcastle, and Sydney.
It says it was “guided by intelligence” that suggested 20 apartment buildings (Class 2) under construction were potentially at higher risk of poor quality construction.
As a result of the audit, defects in 12 buildings were found. Inspectors used Schmidt Hammer tests that measure elastic properties or strength of concrete to identify risks in formed concrete. In addition, variations of strength across column and slab structures were also examined at the sites.
While none of the defects identified were thought to pose a risk to public safety, according to Building Commission NSW, orders were issued to ensure they were resolved before the buildings are finished.
And the government agency delivered a warning: “Building Commission NSW will continue to monitor these projects through to completion, while the concrete audit program hits the road and targets more regions across NSW.”
The commission indicated its ‘anywhere, anytime’ inspections would be just that. They are part of a wider campaign of regular audits which will focus on the quality of work related to the five key building elements of structure, fire safety, waterproofing, building envelope, and services such as electrical, plumbing and lifts.
Established a year ago, and now headed up by Building Commissioner James Sherrard, Building Commission NSW has already inspected around 1400 buildings and published a library of the most common defects to help practitioners identify and fix issues early.
The commission revealed it also uses data and intelligence to focus attention on riskier licence renewals and applications.
About the author
Desi Corbett
Desi is the Editor of Concrete in Australia and at the helm of our magazine for 8 years. She was behind the Institute's weekly news bulletins from 2016-2021 and is now writing our focused news items. Desi has been an engineering news and features journalist/editor across all disciplines since 2013 - part of a 30-year career writing for a wide range of industries.