By Utkarsh A Jani
M.D- (Edifice Erection Pvt.Ltd)
http://www.buildingmaintenance.co.in
info@buildingmaintenance.co.in
Every year a large number of buildings in Mumbai collapse, resulting in deaths and economic damage. Sometimes the damage is inflicted by the weather. The salty sea breeze and the heavy monsoon play havoc with houses in the city, giving most sea-facing walls a puffed and peeling look. Often this leads to water seepage into the walls. If this remains unchecked, water can rust and corrode steel reinforcements inside the concrete columns and seriously damage the building.
mumbai is plagued with buildings needing repairs. Many of them have to be repaired urgently if precious lives and property have to be saved. It is the paradox that every occupant knows and understands the importance of living in safe structure, due to some reason or the other, most of them either try to avoid repairs or even go to an extent of creating problems for other occupants who are agreeable for repairs.
Building need maintenance to ensure serviceability during their life span, which can be prolonged with right type of repairs done for any distress observed. Periodical and routine inspections of buildings are essential to precede maintenance by professional engineers. An expert can only prescribe the right kind of repair to arrest this process of deteriorations to save the property and ensure the return of the investment preventing premature deterioration or collapse. As self-medication is likely to be injurious to health, similarly inexperienced approach to repair may not ensure prolonged service of built up assets.
Building repairs are costly and the more they are delayed, the more costly they become, many a times, the contractor selected for repairs has very little or no technical knowledge of what is required to be done and he some how manages to complete the work. After few years, the building needs further repairs to give it a fresh lease of life. Reliable consultant and experienced contractors are difficult to get and therefore many a times the common man is just lost in this unending maze. The people in charge are the worst sufferers. Even if they are honest and disciplined they are seldom appreciated. It mostly becomes thankless honorary job, where persons are burdened with and in return they develop unnecessary stress and also become unpopular. In vied of above structural survey is need of the hour
