The surveillance cameras of the Mar de Leva building in Castillogrande captured the moment when the lintel (horizontal structural element that bridges a space between two supports or jambs) of a balcony on the 21st floor of this building detaches and falls to the ground. Read: Video: part of a building balcony falls in Castillogrande
The emergency that occurred around 7:16 at night that left no injuries or deaths but caused a stir among the neighbors due to the thunderous noise.
“It looked like a bomb,” said one of the witnesses.
The Advisory Office for Disaster Risk Management (Oagrd) reported that, through the Unified Command Post (PMU), it received a report following 8:00 at night regarding the collapse of a part of the balcony in Castillogrande.
He pointed out that, immediately, an immediate reaction team made up of Risk Management officials went to the point in order to assess the effects.
According to the analysis of the Oagrd engineers, the closest hypothesis has to do with the wear of the materials that made up this balcony lintel.
“Iron and steel exposed to the elements likely increased in volume and caused the concrete to explode, ultimately causing the entire 21st floor balcony wall to collapse. The analysis also concludes that there is no of structural risk for the rest of the building”, specified the entity.
The iron and steel exposed to the elements likely increased in volume and caused the concrete to explode, ultimately causing the entire balcony wall to collapse.”
Oagrd.
Fernando Abello, director of the Oagrd, explained that together with the analysis carried out by the engineers, the company of the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Department of Transit and Transportation (DATT) and brigades of Public Space was requested, with the aim of controlling the flow of vehicles and pedestrians in the area due to the possibility of debris falling from the collapsed balcony.
“On balance we found that fortunately there were no people in the lobby or on the sidewalk at the time of the fall, the material gained a lot of speed falling from the 21st floor, causing considerable damage to the floor below. We have requested the administration of the building to review all the balconies of the building, as a preventive measure to verify that there is no more exposure of material to salt and wind and to avoid events similar to the one that occurred today,” said the official.
