Design fault or structural weakening, exclusion from the possible cause of collapse.
The design fault cause of collapse can be easily disproved by the fact that the structure never showed any sing of any potential stress which could cause the collapse as it happened in September 2023. Should any claim be made as structural weakening being the cause of the collapse in September 2023, this needs to be proven. Especially, it needs to be proven how the structure showed cause of concerns prior to the collapse, but historical pictures and structural surveys. (including those instructed by the bank that grated a loan on this building) did not cause any such concerns.
Additionally, if a design fault were the cause of the collapse, this would have happened within the first 10 to 20 years of the building been first erected. Structural faults also lead to slow movements and if collapses occur these are relatively slow and occur in stages and are not dramatic like in the case of the collapse of September 2023.
Collapses due to design faults or structural weakening are slow in nature and not as sudden as occurred in September 2023.
Collapse due to structural defect is clearly ruled out because:
1 The building did not present any evidence of structural issues prior to any of these collapses. No report or record of structural defects are to be found anywhere, the property was subject to ea secured loan which required a structural survey.
The type of collapse is not consistent with structural defect due to timber deterioration or any structural defect for that matter. This is because in case of structural timber deterioration, any structural fault would show gradually over time. If any collapse had occurred due to structural defect or structural weakening, this would have been very slow and gradual over time. Meaning that if any collapse occurs due to structural wood rot or lack of maintenance, this would be occurring in little and partial collapses, providing plenty of warning and signs of this instability. Only small parts of the building at a time would collapse (very slowly abut not suddenly). For example, the one part of roof would collapse slowly etc. The forewarning would be evident to any inspection, however this was never reported.
Either structural fault or wood rot would be very unlikely to cause a sudden and unexpected collapse as happened in September 2023.
A double brick wall 18 meters long (reinforced by pillars) would never collapse unexpectedly (as it occurred in September 2023) all at once due to a structural fault.
Neither structural fault nor roof fault would cause the side supporting wall to collapse slowly, let alone causing it to collapse all at once unexpectedly, as happened in September 2023. However, should a lateral strong force would be exerted onto the lateral wall due to a faulty roof or any other structural weakening, this would show over time (with cracks which were not previously present). This is supported by the structural survey conducted on the building as required by the bank which had a secured loan on the building.
If any collapse occurred, this would have been of the roof, and it would have not affected the side wall. In the unlikely case the force exerted from the roof on the side wall were too strong for the side wall to bear this would have shown gradually and the collapse of the side wall (although unlikely, would have occurred in parts only over a long period of time.
If structural fault were the cause of any collapse, this would have been slow and in stages. It also would have happened in 10 two 20 years from construction and this building is of solid construction, and never showed any sign of structural issue. Once again, even in the hypothesis of structural defect, this would not lead to a sudden catastrophic collapse.
As a clear example known to most people of collapse due to structural faults , we can look at collapse after fires that weaken the wooden structure of the building. There is never an unexpected sudden collapse of a whole structure (like in th case of the collapse of September 2023), this if happens it is progressive. However, none of the lateral supporting walls of a building affected by fire collapses.
This is in contrast with the sudden and unexpected collapse of the entire side wall in September 2023.
If any collapse occurred, this would have been of the roof, and it would have not affected the side wall. In the unlikely case the farce exerted by the roof on the side wall were too strong for the side wall to bear this would have shown gradually and the collapse of the side wall (although very unlikely, would have occurred in parts only over a long period of time.
If structural fault were the cause of any collapse, this would have occurred slowly and in stages. It also would have happened in 10 two 20 years from construction and this building is of solid construction, and never showed any sign of structural issue. Once again, even in the hypothesis of structural defect, this would not lead to a sudden catastrophic collapse.
As a clear example known to most people of collapse due to structural faults, we can look at collapses after fires. Fires weaken the wooden structure of the building, weakening the overall structure of the building. Even after fires, there is never an unexpected sudden collapse of a whole vertical structure (like in the case of the collapse of September 2023). Any collapse after fire do not involve vertical structures like walls, and if any collapse occurs it is progressive. In most cases, none of the lateral supporting walls of a building affected by fire collapses.
This is in contrast with the sudden and unexpected collapse of the entire side wall in September 2023.
However, most likely any structural fault would have cause concerns 10 two 20 years from construction and structural surveys would have shown this. However, since the building was used as a bank security for a mortgage, we know structural surveys did not show any concerns. Additionally, this building is of solid construction, constructed approximately 100 years ago an it had not shown any sign of structural issue. Once again, even in the hypothesis of structural defect, this would not lead to a sudden catastrophic collapse.
As a clear example known to most people of collapse due to structural faults, we can look at collapse after fires that weaken the wooden structure of the building. There is never a sudden collapse of a whole structure immediately, this if happens it is progressive. However, none of the lateral supporting walls of a building affected by fire collapses.
This is in contrast with the sudden collapse of the entire side wall in September 2023.
The wall that blasted outward was approximately 3 to 4 meter high, this type of wall. This was a double brick wall and reinforced by pillars.
Vertical Structural walls do not collapse outward all at once due to structural defects. Even when there is structural defect and subsidence wall
