HDB reminded the public to carry out repairs early once they notice signs of spalling concrete to prevent it from deteriorating further or affect a bigger area. Photo: Syasha DanialAlissa/facebook
The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has reminded residents to take early action once they detect signs of spalling concrete, after a young boy was hurt when parts of the bathroom’s ceiling fell on him.
In a series of Facebook posts, Syasya DanialAlissa shared that her son was happily shooting water up the ceiling in their HDB home in Bukit Merah when the incident occurred. However, she noted that the ceiling was already cracked even before the incident.
She posted photos of her son after he was hurt and the concrete debris on the ground, saying “her worst nightmare came true”, reported TODAY.
In a follow-up post, Syasya revealed that HDB and the town council managing their estate had followed up on the incident.
In responding to TODAY’s queries, HDB said its officers, who visited the flat, found spalling concrete in the unit’s bathroom ceiling.
“We have helped the family to clear the debris arising from the spalling concrete, and will be carrying out repair works in the flat on Friday. As this is a rental flat, HDB will bear the cost of repair.”
The rental flat is 45 years old, as such subject to natural wear and tear as well as conditions which may lead to spalling concrete.
Read: What Is Concrete Spalling and Is Your Home At Risk?
“Spalling concrete occurs when the steel bars embedded in the ceiling start to corrode due to the ingress of moisture and acidic elements,” it explained.
This causes the ceiling to crack and fall off over time, it said.
“(This) tends to occur more frequently in moisture-prone areas such as the kitchen and bathroom where humidity will speed up the carbonation process, which causes the spalling concrete.”
It assured that spalling concrete is non-structural in nature, hence, will not affect the structural integrity of the building.
With this, HDB reminded the public to carry out repairs early once they notice signs of spalling concrete to prevent it from deteriorating further or affect a bigger area.
“In the event that rental tenants discover any defects such as spalling concrete or ceiling leak, tenants should report to HDB so that HDB can carry out the necessary repairs,” it said.
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Victor Kang, Digital Content Specialist at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email victorkang@propertyguru.com.sg