The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has given management of Melcom Plus Shopping Mall the green light to operate, after it was reported in the media that there was deepening cracks in series of columns of the company’s building at North Industrial area, in Accra.
Owing to the media report, the Chief Executive of Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Dr. Alfred Okoe Vanderpuye and a technical team from the Metro works’ Department visited the location and met with the management of the company to have firsthand information of the situation.
After a walk-through visual inspection of the building and a brief technical meeting, the Mayor announced that in the interest of all parties concerned, all necessary procedures that would ensure the structural safety of the building had not been compromised would be undertaken and followed. True to his words; Dr. Okoe Vanderpuye engaged the services of an independent certified Engineer, Ing. Frank Fiifi Yawson, P. Eng to inspect the building.
In his recommendation, after the inspection, Ing. Yawson pointed out that the distribution of the loads on the floors should be maintained whilst occurrence of concentrated load is avoided.
Ing. Yawson stressed that the building as it stood was structurally sound and safe for use as intended, contrary to the news item that portrayed the MelcomPlus Building as being unsafe for use.
Some findings saw: reinforced frame structure made of; 150mm thick solid slab, 250mm x 450mm floor bean, 250mm x 450mm column and, the structural drawing was certified by Ing. Edward Sanjok (MGhIE 01811)
His report therefore indicated that notion of crack propagation in column is without any merit and the observed cracking as portrayed had no adverse structural implication since it occurred in the plaster board that was used to seal off the expansion joint.
“The structural members showed no alarming visible and physical sign of structural distress. The information contained in the certified as-built drawings is confirmed by the findings of the structural assessment” the report said.
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