Cracks cause concerns on CH building stability

Concerns on the stability of the eight-storey City Hall executive building were raised yesterday after members of the Civil Security Unit discovered some cracks on the floor of its basement parking area.

CSU personnel said that, on Wednesday night, they noticed water seeping through the cracks. The water then dried into a white crystalline substance that resembled salt.

One of them said the substance tastes like salt, and this drew suspicion that saltwater has intruded into the foundation of the building.

The matter was later reported to the Office of the Building Official, which in turn inspected the place immediately.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña was not at the City Hall yesterday when the report of the CSU personnel’s discovery of the cracks came out.

Vice Mayor Michael Rama, who only learned about it from the reporters, said it must “be urgently attended to.” He also went to see the area yesterday afternoon to see for himself the reported condition of the building.

City Engineer Antonio Sanchez said he only learned about the matter when he saw OBO chief Josefa Ylanan and City Hall consultant Rogelio Serato, a structural engineer, inspecting the area.

The cracks are small and should not be a cause for alarm but Sanchez also wanted the condition investigated further.

Ylanan, for her part, instructed the CSU personnel to monitor the cracks and report immediately when these get bigger. The OBO will discuss the matter with WT Construction, which constructed the building some eight years ago.

According to Sanchez the site, which was formerly the location of the two-storey city planning office, is a reclaimed area. It was during the term of Alvin Garcia as mayor that the eight-storey executive building was built.

During its construction, Sanchez recalled that seawater seeped into the excavated area for its foundation.

The building now houses the offices of the mayor, which is located on the eighth floor, the City Treasurer’s Office, the Cash Division, and the City Planning Office, among others. — Wenna A. Berondo/RAE