Time for Bias

By Christopher Yap S.H.

This book is about the need and importance of BIAS (building inspection, assessment, and surveillance), given the proliferation of buildings and infrastructure throughout the world, especially in developed cities where skyscrapers and high-rise buildings as well as massive infrastructure have changed entire cityscapes in the last two decades. The author aims to convince governments, corporations, professionals, and academics as well as property owners of the need for and importance of BIAS, and he hopes that they will take BIAS seriously. The author strongly believes that his book will prove its worth in times to come as lives and properties are saved.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Singapore
• Release date: Mar 18, 2019
• ISBN: 9781543749021

Christopher Yap S.H.

The author is a Singaporean Chinese with more than 35years experience in the Construction, Real Estate and Engineering industries including Facility Management. He holds a honors degree in Building and a master’s degree in Construction Economics, graduating top in his class for both. He has more than 30years experience in project & contracts management and has worked on many iconic and mega-size developments in Singapore, the Middle East, North Africa and S.E. Asia. His most notable developments include Palm Jumeirah & The Palm Jebel Ali/Waterfront developments in Dubai. He has held senior management positions for more than 25 years and is currently running his own consultancy business and writing books.

Book preview

Copyright © 2019 Christopher Yap S.H. All rights reserved.

ISBN

978-1-5437-4901-4 (sc)

978-1-5437-4902-1 (e)

978-1-5437-4903-8 (hc)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

www.partridgepublishing.com/singapore

03/15/2019

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Contents

Dedicationi

Acknowledgement

List of Tables

List of Figures

List of Photographs

Preface

Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1. Author’s Objective

1.2. Brief History of Building Inspection & Assessment (BIA)

1.3. The Need for BIAS

1.4. The Time

Chapter 2: Building Inspection, Assessment & Surveillance (BIAS)

2.1. Scope of Study

2.2. Definition & Terminology

2.3. Background of BIA

2.4. Legal Considerations

2.5. Contractual Considerations

2.6. Roles of Government & Corporations

2.7. The Roles of Professionals in BIAS

Chapter 3: The Approach

3.1. Practices in Other Countries

3.2. When BIAS is Required

3.3. The Assessment Process

3.4. Action Flow Plan

Chapter 4: The Signs & Symptoms

4.1. Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)

4.2. Recognising Structural Defects

4.3. Post-Disaster BIAS

Chapter 5: The Testing Methods & Equipment Used

5.1. Non-Destructive Test (NDT) Methods

5.2. Semi-Destructive Test (SDT) Methods

5.3. Destructive Test (DT) Methods

5.4. The Equipment Used

5.5. The Latest Technologies Employed in BIAS

Chapter 6: Conclusion & Recommendations

6.1. Summary

6.2. Recommendations

6.3. Building of The Future

6.4. Conclusion

Bibliography

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to the memory of:

Mr. & Mrs. Patrick & Evelyn Yap

Dearest Mum and Dad,

I never got the chance to repay both of you for bringing me up to adulthood. I am now a loving husband to a wonderful and caring woman and a proud father of three beautiful children whom I am sure both of you would have loved dearly. Having gone through the hardships of parenting, I realized the great burden and responsibility that both of you had to bear when you were bringing us.

I am eternally grateful for all the love, care and wisdom that both of you have given me and the sacrifices that you made for us. I know that both of you are now with God Almighty, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and I look forward to the day when we can be reunited once again in God’s Kingdom in Heaven together with all our loved ones and friends.

Your Ever-Loving Son,

Chris

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I thank God Almighty, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit for giving me the inspiration, strength, perserverance and determination to finally finish and publish this book which I started writing more than 20 years ago but was unable to complete due to a series of unfoftunate and unforeseen circumstances and incidents in my life.

I thank my sisters, Cynthia and Elena for constantly and gently reminding me to "finish my book". I also thank my wife, Grace for her love, tolerance and patience with me while I was writing this book and those who had encouraged me to write and publish it.

I would also like to specially thank the following organizations and specialists, whom I have had the honour and opportunity to work with on various projects, for their kind contribution to this book:

• DPCF Management Consultants Pte. Ltd. (Singapore)

• MIRS Innovate Pte. Ltd., (Singapore)

• Acolite Construction (S) Pte. Ltd.

• Technology & Development Division, CIDB (Singapore)

• NAX Instruments Pte. Ltd. (Singapore)

• ALX Pte. Ltd. (Singapore)

Finally, I wish to thank Partridge Publishing, Singapore for their support, advice and assistance in helping me to publish, launch, promote and market my book internationally.

List of Tables

List of Figures

List of Photographs

List of Photographs (cont’d)

List of Photographs (cont’d)

List of Photographs (cont’d)

List of Photographs (cont’d)

List of Photographs (cont’d)

PREFACE

On Saturday afternoon, March 15th 1986, one of Singaporeans’ worst nightmare became a reality when a high-rise hotel, barely eighteen years old, collapsed¹ "without warning", killing eighteen people and seriously injuring more than fifty others, most of whom barely escaped the chilly grips of death. According to several eye witnesses, the entire tragic incident lasted less than thirty seconds. This incident drew the attention of all Singaporeans as well as the whole world. Rescue operations lasted six days but the ordeal and trauma was far from over. The incident triggered off fears deep within the minds and hearts of Singaporeans, as more than eighty (80%) percent of them lived in high-rise apartment blocks. Singaporeans, until that fateful incident, had never imagined that such a tragedy could ever occur in Singapore.

The government, realizing that the impact that this incident would have on its people, the image of the building and construction industry, and Singapore’s reputation and image throughout the world, immediately commissioned a board of inquiry to investigate and carry out an in-depth study of the incident with the following objectives:

• to determine the cause/s of the collapse;

• to determine if there were any illegal acts or breach of statutory regulations that might have led to or caused this incident; and if so,

• to determine the parties to be held liable; and

• to submit recommendation/s to the government as to what step(s) are needed to be taken or laws to be implemented to prevent a similar recurrence in the future.

After months of intensive investigation, the findings of the BOI² were that the building collapsed as a result of several factors, which were namely:

• poor site management during construction;

• poor workmanship;

• materials used were not to specifications;

• illegal and/or unauthorised alterations to the works;

• illegal and/or unauthorised additions to the building/structure;

• improper use of the building; and,

• lack of proper maintenance and inspections.

More importantly was the discovery of the fact that there were many signs and symptoms exhibited all over the building throughout its short existence that showed the building was not structurally "sound. It was discovered that the owner was fully informed (by his consultants) and aware of the signs and symptoms" but chose to ignore them. The owner’s egregious and irresponsible actions shocked Singaporeans as well as the world. This clearly implied that the collapse could have been prevented and no life lost. Justice was swift as the owner himself was a victim of his own ill-doing.

In 1991, a hotel in Bangkok collapsed³ killing more than fifty people and injuring more than a hundred. The authorities determined that the collapse was due to construction work that was not in accordance with the drawings and specifications. Also, most of the materials used for the project were of low quality.

On August 13th 1993, the 6-storey Royal Plaza Hotel in Thailand collapsed⁴, killing one hundred and thirty seven, and injuring two hundred and twenty seven people. It was deemed that