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Discuss this article (19 Comments)Workers flee Dubai building collapse
by This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it on Sunday, 16 August 2009
DAMAGE LIMITATION: Firefighters at the scene of the collapsed building in Deira. (ITP Images)
Eleven construction workers narrowly escaped death on Sunday when the facade of a six-storey building nearing completion in Dubai collapsed.
Noticing signs of imminent danger the workers managed to flee the building, which is located near the Ramada Hotel across the street from the Dubai Police H.Q.
The engineer in charge of the site confirmed all 21 workers, including those who managed to escape, were not injured. An immediate search operation using police sniffer dogs confirmed there were no victims under the debris.
The Acting Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, Major-General Khamis Mattar Al Mazina, said Hazaa Contracting and Bait Al Emarat Engineering Consultants, the building's developers, will be investigated in coordination with Dubai Municipality, Khaleej Times reported.
Gulf News added that one person had been taken into custody.
Meanwhile, Ishraq Hibib, 17, was at home at Yasmeen Building about 100m from the building when the incident happened.
"We felt tremors and looked outside and saw something like smoke," he told Khaleej Times.
"There are fire trucks and rescue vans and police everywhere. I can see at least four or five cars under the rubble. I can’t see anyone hurt."
READERS' COMMENTS
Disclaimer: The views expressed here by our readers are not necessarily shared by ArabianBusiness.com or its employees.
To Steve Welch
Posted by Saeid on Tuesday 18 August 2009 at 09:16 UAE time
Steve, go to the bathroom, open the cabinet, there is a little yellow pill there. Take a couple , breath deep and repeat after me ' It's gonna be ok'
Posted by Saeid on Tuesday 18 August 2009 at 09:16 UAE time
Steve, go to the bathroom, open the cabinet, there is a little yellow pill there. Take a couple , breath deep and repeat after me ' It's gonna be ok'
IN-SECURITY
Posted by Steve Welch, Dubai, UAE on Monday 17 August 2009 at 20:34 UAE time
After this shocking incident, we are very scared to get into buildings. many are seriously scared... With every fleeting day we are losing an essential factor in Dubai, we are losing our sense of security in this place, personal security, career security, financial security, health security, and the list is endless. Farewell Dubai!!!
Posted by Steve Welch, Dubai, UAE on Monday 17 August 2009 at 20:34 UAE time
After this shocking incident, we are very scared to get into buildings. many are seriously scared... With every fleeting day we are losing an essential factor in Dubai, we are losing our sense of security in this place, personal security, career security, financial security, health security, and the list is endless. Farewell Dubai!!!
Design or Construction failure
Posted by Mohammed Azad Hossain, Kuwait on Monday 17 August 2009 at 12:58 UAE time
Working in the Gulf countries as an Engineer about 30 years it is my contemplation that the Residential Buildings (from 6 to 10 floors), which are normally constructed for renting purposes (obviously for the expats) are generally owned/constructed by sub/low developers engaging lower category contractors and consultants along with lower quality materials in order to reduce cost. The Design and Construction of these buildings get little attention from the Government Statutory Authorities like Municipality, Fire Brigade, EPA etc. In approval of such buildings the philosophy of Quality, Environment and Safety (QES) and Building Code is completely forgotten by all the parties.
In construction, there are two generally standards of design liability that can be imposed on a Designer or Contractor. It can be required to carry out its design using reasonable skill and care or to ensure that its design is fit for purpose.
Defective design is not the same as defects in construction of the project. The latter is attributable to the materials, goods or workmanship used by the contractor or sub-contractors.
Therefore, it should be established whether the defects result from design or construction or a mixture of both. The report says that the façade of the building collapsed (possibly the cladding materials collapsed). It can be inferred apparently that the cladding material was not fixed properly, which may have been fixed with normal sand cement mortar over the external wall, which cause the failure. I understand that it should be a mandatory requirement that the cladding materials like stone, facing brick or the like shall be fixed over the external wall with mechanical fixation.
Thanks God that the poor laborers had a very luck escape. I believe such mishap will continue if the Government Statutory Bodies do not have proper attention to the appropriate Building Codes and Construction Practice and Procedures and allow carte blanche to the unscrupulous Developer and Contractors what they thinks fit.
Posted by Mohammed Azad Hossain, Kuwait on Monday 17 August 2009 at 12:58 UAE time
Working in the Gulf countries as an Engineer about 30 years it is my contemplation that the Residential Buildings (from 6 to 10 floors), which are normally constructed for renting purposes (obviously for the expats) are generally owned/constructed by sub/low developers engaging lower category contractors and consultants along with lower quality materials in order to reduce cost. The Design and Construction of these buildings get little attention from the Government Statutory Authorities like Municipality, Fire Brigade, EPA etc. In approval of such buildings the philosophy of Quality, Environment and Safety (QES) and Building Code is completely forgotten by all the parties.
In construction, there are two generally standards of design liability that can be imposed on a Designer or Contractor. It can be required to carry out its design using reasonable skill and care or to ensure that its design is fit for purpose.
Defective design is not the same as defects in construction of the project. The latter is attributable to the materials, goods or workmanship used by the contractor or sub-contractors.
Therefore, it should be established whether the defects result from design or construction or a mixture of both. The report says that the façade of the building collapsed (possibly the cladding materials collapsed). It can be inferred apparently that the cladding material was not fixed properly, which may have been fixed with normal sand cement mortar over the external wall, which cause the failure. I understand that it should be a mandatory requirement that the cladding materials like stone, facing brick or the like shall be fixed over the external wall with mechanical fixation.
Thanks God that the poor laborers had a very luck escape. I believe such mishap will continue if the Government Statutory Bodies do not have proper attention to the appropriate Building Codes and Construction Practice and Procedures and allow carte blanche to the unscrupulous Developer and Contractors what they thinks fit.
I apologize
Posted by Original Joe, Dubai on Monday 17 August 2009 at 12:51 UAE time
You are correct....I misquoted you and I do apologize. After I posted I re-read your "probably occurs more often" and knew I screwed up. I am not sure why I had that phrase (all the time) in my head when I was posting but it is my mistake. Hopefully this will be posted by the AB censors.
No, I am not an industry expert but I do follow the Dubai perspective in world media such as CNN, Sky News, CNBC, BBC, etc. As a resident of Dubai for the past 8 years I have seen the good times in the press and now the "bad" times, although I don't think everything is as bad as what you & I read. Dubai used to be the darling of the press and now everyone is looking to take their shot at Dubai.
This incident is bad and is hopefully a one off but with all the other negativity about Dubai's current financial situation, dodgy developers not building anything but still demanding payments, a reported $5 billion in contractual disputes between contractors and developers, etc. this is just another straw on the camel's back, so to say, regarding the current state of Dubai.
Posted by Original Joe, Dubai on Monday 17 August 2009 at 12:51 UAE time
You are correct....I misquoted you and I do apologize. After I posted I re-read your "probably occurs more often" and knew I screwed up. I am not sure why I had that phrase (all the time) in my head when I was posting but it is my mistake. Hopefully this will be posted by the AB censors.
No, I am not an industry expert but I do follow the Dubai perspective in world media such as CNN, Sky News, CNBC, BBC, etc. As a resident of Dubai for the past 8 years I have seen the good times in the press and now the "bad" times, although I don't think everything is as bad as what you & I read. Dubai used to be the darling of the press and now everyone is looking to take their shot at Dubai.
This incident is bad and is hopefully a one off but with all the other negativity about Dubai's current financial situation, dodgy developers not building anything but still demanding payments, a reported $5 billion in contractual disputes between contractors and developers, etc. this is just another straw on the camel's back, so to say, regarding the current state of Dubai.
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