Durban municipal buildings set for repairs worth R600m
A structural engineer has found that the entire roof structure of one of the four buildings has been compromised by the presence of wood-eating insects.
Durban City Hall. Picture: Wikipedia
At a recent executive committee meeting, the city of Durban explained that immediate as well as long-term interventions are required at four municipal buildings including City Hall, reports Northglen News.
According to a report tabled in the meeting, the repairs would cost more than R600 million, with City Hall accounting for R320 million.
The report updated the executive committee on the independent condition assessments undertaken by private conditional assessors of four buildings, namely City Hall, 75 Dr Langalibalele Street, Rennie House, and the metro police headquarters.
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Speaking on City Hall, the report found the building was designed and commissioned in a pre-information age and continued functionality in the current information age would require significant construction work.
Immediate interventions include electrical reticulation requiring a detailed point-by-point review and installation. A structural engineer identified timber sections of the roof to be evaluated in order to determine its structural integrity, adding that it was likely the entire roof structure was compromised by the presence of wood-eating insects.
Head of the engineering unit Greg Evans said numerous municipal assets required renovations.
Evans said not all the upgrades would be done immediately with the urgent interventions receiving attention first and the less urgent renovations being worked into a phased renovation schedule.
“The next step will be working closely with our finance colleagues regarding [a] budget for a phased approach. Aging infrastructure is an issue worldwide, not only in South Africa, with old infrastructure coming to the end of its life cycle.”
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