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CEBU CITY, Philippines – Even before it could be completed, ‘surface defects’ were already found on some of the upper floors of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC).
Engr. Ricky Dakay said surface defects were evident on parts of the structure’s 4th to 6th floors.
Dakay said there was a need to correct these defects as the city government also works to ensure the completion of the new city hospital.
Mayor Michael Rama said he wanted the construction project completed by the end of the year and the city-run hospital fully operational next year.
“Rest assured that we will ensure that the Cebu City Medical Center is completed as soon as possible. Having it operationally operational by next year will be a boost to our quest for a Singapore-like Cebu City,” he said.
Dakay spoke in a press conference on Monday, April 24, to discuss updates on the CCMC construction works. He was joined by Rama and some lawyers at City Hall.
ALSO READ: CCMC project: Cebu City gov’t, contractor ‘mutually agree’ to terminate P908M contract
CCMC Investigation
In the same presscon, he also made a presentation of the outcome of the investigation which he did to determine the hospital’s structural integrity and review the work done by government contractors.
According to Dakay, structural stability is determined based on the properties of the materials used, the geometric properties or the structure itself, and its surface conditions.
“Because the structure, whether we like it or not, is subject to wear and tear. Material testing is conducted extensively at different locations on a per-floor basis throughout the whole structure,” he said.
During his investigation, Dakay said he found some surface defects on the building’s 4th to 6th floor. He, however, admitted that he failed to do sampling on the lower floors that are now being used.
In addition, Dakay said, he and members of the investigation team also looked into the plumbness of the building using global positioning system (GPS).
“From this, a general strategy as to how to proceed with the construction work may now be articulated. That the retrofit of the affected members, the fit-out and the finishing of the lower floors, and the completion of the additional floors shall be done in a parallel and concurrent fashion,” he said.
Correct the defects
He then presented some recommendations which include the following:
- provide epoxy-bonded CFRP wrap/strip for the columns which were found to be inadequate.
- correct surface defects to include honeycombs, bug holes, and shrinkage cracks.
- repair concrete surfaces which are peeled or found with hollow defects to ensure the long-term reliability and performance of the structure as well as the static component of the structure.
Dakay said the construction of the still unfinished portions of the hospital building and the repair of the defects found could be done simultaneously.
“This will set the stage of the timely completion of the remaining works as this approach will optimize the efficient and effective use of resources and enables the operational tools for project monitoring and control….,” he said.
And while the city government selects a contractor/contractors who would do the job, Dakay said, there was also a need to convene a “very competent” project management team that would oversee the progress of the construction project and make sure that this is completed according to schedule.
“We’re looking CCMC at a global structural system and that should be the way how to look at things,” he said.
ALSO READ: Rama wants to finish CCMC reconstruction without a ‘single centavo’ spent from City Hall coffers
Long overdue
Rama said the completion of the CCMC project has been long overdue. Eight years has passed since the construction project started, yet Cebuanos still could not maximize the use of the government structure.
“The end in mind is to complete CCMC in a timely manner until project completion with the shell done towards the end of this year 2023. We will proceed with the works three-pronged parallel activities done at the same time. One, retrofit columns that did not pass the criteria by design and bring up those as required to be strengthened. Two, proceed with the additional floors until the tenth; and three, fit out the lower floors. We will finish CCMC this year, correctly from here on,” the mayor said.
“No more haste that makes waste. Thus, we will organize a strong project management team composed of competent engineers who will formulate, specify the components of, and oversee the construction that should now resume unhampered,” he added.
Mayor Rama said he is “committed to realize our poor man’s hospital with rich man’s services, love, care, compassion assured.” | USJ-R Intern Niña Oliverio
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