A block of apartments built in Mtarfa by the Housing Authority just 20 years ago is undergoing major repairs after it transpired that 99 beams were defective and must be replaced.

This was confirmed by a Social Policy Ministry spokesman, who told this newspaper that the structural works would cost taxpayers €3 million and be completed within a year.

Built around 20 years ago as part of an extensive social housing project in Mtarfa, the Binja Buqana complex, which houses 80 families, was dogged by structural problems from the very start. By the late 1990s, residents were already complaining of water seepage, which caused extensive damage to the concrete structure, especially in the underlying garages at the basement level, where cracks developed.

Despite repeated complaints from the aggrieved owners, who had invested their earnings to buy property from the government, the Housing Authority dismissed them. Its denial was based on an analysis carried out by a number of architects on its behalf who had certified the building as perfectly safe. Despite this assurance, the structural defects got worse.

In June 2015, the Social Policy Ministry stepped in directly and announced it would do the repairs using State funds. Meanwhile, an inquiry into claims of bad workmanship and liability issues was launched. To date, the findings of this investigation, headed by retired Judge Philip Sciberras, have not been published.

It's like they are papering over the cracks

The issue came to the fore once again a few days ago, when a concerned Binja Buqana resident contacted this newspaper and questioned the quality of repair works. “How are they expecting to reinforce the building by plastering over the falling parts of the concrete beams? It is like they are papering over the cracks,” 50-year-old Emanuel Calleja told Times of Malta during an on-site visit.

A quick tour of the common area of the basement garages revealed the dire state of the building, with parts of the steel mesh of the concrete beams showing and in certain cases corroded beyond repair. A huge number of temporary supports made of limestone and concrete bricks at each side of these beams was further proof of the alarming state of the building.

This newspaper sought assurances from the government about the level of the works being done. While acknowledging the issue was urgent, a Social Policy Ministry spokesman immediately pointed out the building was safe.

“Had we been told by UK engineering firm Arup, whom we commissioned to investigate the state of the building, that it was in danger of collapse, the ministry would have immediately evacuated the 80 families living in this complex,” he said.

“However, Arup warned us that if left untreated, the problem would soon escalate into a time bomb,” he added.

According to the spokesman, the root cause of the water problem was the seepage of rainwater from overlying terraces and bad workmanship.

“In some cases the rainwater was channelled underneath the tiles of the common areas, making the earth subflooring too heavy, to the point of causing crack in the floor below,” he remarked.

During the inspections, it also transpired that none of the 99 pillars meant to support the horizontal concrete beams had been constructed properly, which resulted in cracking.

“Apart from the fact that they were not made of solid concrete, their foundation, which was supposed to have a large base to give it more stability, was completely missing. For this reason, [the beams] will have to be replaced with steel beams.”

As for the repairs on the horizontal beams that was flagged by Mr Calleja, the ministry said that they would be treated in three stages. In the worst-case scenario, metal plates would be inserted at the sides and the corroded steel mesh replaced.

Despite these glaring defects, the option of suing the contractors is no longer on the table.

“The inquiry concluded that in view of the fact that no action was taken within a specific time frame, the case became time-barred. Nevertheless, the government felt morally obliged to foot the bill to safeguard the 80 families at Binja Buqana,” the spokesman said.

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