Around 17,800 HDB households have sought help to fix broken or flaking concrete over the last three years. (Photo: Cheryl Marie Tay)
A Yishun HDB flat made headlines last week, after an 80-year-old man was hurt by falling concrete pieces from the bathroom’s ceiling. However, the issue of spalling concrete is not uncommon. In fact, the Housing Board has helped about 17,800 households fix broken or flaking concrete over the last three years under a scheme, reported The Straits Times.
Introduced in 2001, the Goodwill Repair Assistance (GRA) scheme enables flat owners to request for aid from their grassroots advisers. Subsequently, the HDB will shoulder half of the repair bill for spalling concrete and ceiling leaks.
Spalling concrete affects around one percent of all HDB flats in Singapore, and two percent of older units constructed from 1983 to 1986, former Minister of State for National Development, Lee Yi Shyan, said in 2012.
Last Friday’s incident occurred in Block 141 Yishun Ring Road, a 32-year-old estate that has not undergone upgrading under the Home Improvement Programme.
On Wednesday, the victim’s 50-year-old daughter, who is also the flat owner, said her father was recuperating after suffering minor leg injuries. Ms Gan, a part-time accountant, also accepted the GRA offer.
Experts revealed that spalling concrete happens when steel bars inside the ceiling begin to corrode, causing the concrete to break and fall off in pieces. It typically occurs in blocks that are about 20 to 30 years old, especially in bathrooms, as steel bars quickly rust in moist areas. This poses a risk to structural integrity if it spreads to a large area.
While the HDB reiterated that owners are responsible for taking care of their flat interiors, MPs told The Straits Times that it would be best if the HDB could perform routine checks, particularly in flats with elderly residents.
According to HDB-approved contractor A & R Construction and Engineering’s Managing Director, Ravits Goh, the cost of repairing spalling concrete ranges from around $300 for an area as small as a smartphone to $1,200 for the entire ceiling of an HDB toilet.
To prevent the occurrence of spalling concrete, homeowners are advised to paint their ceiling regularly every three to five years, using anti-carbonation or good quality paint.
“The moment you see a crack on your ceiling, do something,” said Nee Soon GRC MP Lee Bee Wah, who is also an engineer.
Romesh Navaratnarajah, Senior Editor at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email romesh@propertyguru.com.sg
