Extensive cracks in the concrete ceiling of Mater Dei Hospital’s car park were discovered this week, further exposing weak structures that will send compensation claims rocketing.
The Sunday Times of Malta is informed that Arup, a multinational engineering firm, was finalising its survey over the past few days when it came across the cracks in the staff car park.
This forms part of the government’s preparations to quantify the costs of defective workmanship – expected to surpass €30m – as it prepares to embark on a legal battle against Skanska, the Swedish company that built the hospital.
The government has promised to fight “tooth and nail” to reclaim taxpayers’ money, accusing Skanska of fraud for its vitiated tests on the quality of concrete used during the hospital’s construction. Skanska is refuting these claims.
In August 2014, this newspaper broke the news that pavements were stronger than some concrete structures supporting the hospital’s accident and emergency department, throwing the government’s plans to build two wards on top out of sync.
The government then commissioned Arup to carry out a site survey of the entire hospital, but test analysis on the car park were only carried out a few days ago and highlighted in its latest status report, Health Minister Konrad Mizzi said when contacted.
Corrosion at Mater Dei car park
The Foundation for Medical Services immediately took action to eliminate any risk and remedial works are expected to be ready by Tuesday.
Detached fragments of concrete, that was protecting the ceiling’s steel reinforcement, were immediately removed to prevent them from damaging vehicles or injuring those using the car park.
Sources close to hospital authorities told this newspaper that the spalling was most likely not restricted to one area but spread across other areas of the car park.
Spalling happens when the outer layer of concrete detaches itself, exposing the steel reinforcement. Corrosion is likely to have caused the steel to expand, in turn causing the concrete to crack.
The ceiling’s whole upper surface was originally intended to be waterproofed. However, sources said that possibly, as a result of cost-cutting measures, waterproofing was only applied along the expansion joints and at the junctions between the horizontal and vertical construction elements.
The remaining screed surface (the thin top layer of material) was left untreated and eventually asphalted over. Dr Mizzi said the government would continue working to ensure responsibilities for bad workmanship were shouldered by Skanska and it was awaiting Arup’s report quantifying the costs for the necessary remedial works.
The legal team was in the process of formulating the government’s claims, while the Auditor General was asked to investigate the matter in more detail.