This could happen to your Building if it was built in the 1960's

I have just come across this article from Madrid and it is very scary. , How many other buildings in Spain are  in a similar position??????. Time to call in the Structually Engineers if you are worried about your Building,particularily if  it was  built inland or even nearby the Sea  Shoreline !!!!!!.

http://spanishnewstoday.com/apartment-block-collapses-in-madrid_21998-a.html#.Vb-fm_kYORl

 

 

 

This message was last edited by nigel188 on 03/08/2015.

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I have no idea what the Spanish system is but most of the UK's 1960's property has ground leases lasting for hundreds of years, our 1936 property has a 999 years lease. The only property near to us that could have benefitted from a 999 years lease is Peveril Castle which dates back to 1086 AD, it matters little where you are, many of the 1960's buildings are reaching their respective sell by dates. 

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The 1960's and early 70's seems to have been a bad era for building work around in many places. I recall the high alumina cement troubles, but it was a time when buildings were allowed to be thrown up with little involvement of Building Control from the local authority. I own a 1960's building which looks fine but includes areas of single skin external wall, which would never be allowed these days, it causes damp and bad insulation. Also there were shortages of copper pipe and lots was imported from eastern Europe that was sub standard that develops pin prick often in hidden places, lots of fun to find the defective area and replace. Just goes to show that not all bureaucracy is bad!

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I hazzard a guess that the Brits doing everything they can to keep the heat in the building have an easier job than the Spanish trying to keep it out. When we have stayed in La Fustera on the Costa Blanca we have noted a lot of advertising for eco homes, however we have never actually seen a built one, I quite like the idea of a 21st century home in the 21st century, they are very box like but have all the energy saving gizmos, or so it says in the adds. I reckon that sectional panel housing will become the norm, our generation is highly unlikely to build anything that will survive for a hundred years, we must find an alternative to traditional building methods.    

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Not sure about that.  The American system makes some sense to me.  For their urbanisations they can erect a 4 bed house in a few weeks using a brick block and cladding format they call vinyl.  So it's the reverse it's simple, quick and cheap to erect and relatively easy to extend.

But I would like to know more about the problem at the Madrid property.  There must have been a reason for the deterioration in the concrete pillars.

 

This message was last edited by acer on 05/08/2015.

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I'm no expert, but sometimes you see the rebar in concrete rusting, which causes the concrete around it to crack and hence flake off. 

Last year we visited the castle of Villena. This was built by the Moors almost 1000 years ago and large parts of the foundation and even some of the walls are made of concrete. There are no signs of cracking whatsoever. Of course the Romans made stuff out of concrete even before that and much of what they built still stands. But the problem is reinforced concrete in which rebar is embedded in the concrete with the purpose of making it stronger any hence getting away with less of it (thinner supports etc). If the rebar rusts it expands and hence causes stress on the concrete making it crack. Most concrete buildings will decay over time.

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amogles,

Look up Basalt rebar, I suspect that it's more expensive, which could rule out it's usage in economy developments.

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