Ethekwini engineer concerned about columns – Tongaat mall collapse

The Tongaat Mall Commission resumed today and cross-examined the findings of engineer Gons Poonan.

Poonan was asked to put together a report on his findings on the collapse of the Tongaat Mall in November last year, that killed two workers and injured 29 others.

Poonan’s report was similar to that of Ed Weakley, who was cross-examined yesterday. Poonan was asked to assist Ethekwini municipality in finding the cause of the collapse.

Both engineers identified three major points that could have led to the collapse of a section of the mall last year.

These include two columns, numbered 319 and 243, and beam seven.

Column 319 was found to be built on top of one foundational pile while it should have had three. Column 243 was found to be “slender” and according to Poonan, was “inadequate for its purpose”.

Core samples taken from column 243 also showed that the cement was not the prescribed strength that was stipulated in the building plans.

The cement in beam seven was found to have been poured at separate times, which left a joint in the middle which was a major point of weakness.

The commission also discussed the fact that only seven reinforcing bars were used to build beam 7, instead of the prescribed 19.

Poonan was questioned by the different legal teams at the inquiry as to what he thought may have cause the collapse.

He identified column 243, its slender build as well as its height, as the major design flaw in the structure.

However Poonan refrained from saying it was the cause of the collapse, as the stripping of supports on the structure was not clear and would have an effect on which of the three points of weakness initially triggered the collapse.

In June the inquiry revealed that some of the concrete tests from the Tongaat Mall were done without presiding officers present.

In April it came out that only seven Y32s (steel bars) were used, where 19 were required and some employees were not qualified for the job they held.