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Foundation failure led to collapse Experts say

MorshedAuKhan
Evidence strongly suggests that the nine-story Spectrum Sweaters Ltd. building caved in due to a "foundation failure," according to structural engineers and architects who inspected the site yesterday as part ofTheDailyStarteam.
They said the way the structure collapsed indicates the foundation on the eastern end of the building caved in first, instantly shiftbig the load of the entire structure and triggering a collapse like a "pack of cards". The initial crumbling of the FROM PAGE 1
building, with a total floor space of about 81,000 square feet, sent story after story falling on top of one another tilting towards the canal.
Jahangir Alam, a structural engineer, said this collapse pattern strongly indicates the "falling force" was greatly inclining towards the canal on the eastern end of the building.
Sifting through the massive debris, where hundreds of innocent garment workers are still believed to be trapped, experts said it is also possible the lower story columns failed in the "joints and slabs". They pointed at some 'intact columns,' which were being moved by cranes yesterday, and said the intact columns clearly suggest they were detached from the joints and slabs.
"While collapsing, the building slid towards the northeastern side and the columns dislocated from the joints and fell sideways," said architect Iqbal Ahmed.
Experts added that extra measures must be taken to prevent a collapse before buildings are constructed on a canal or low-lying
area. And when it comes to a building as high as nine stories, architects and engineers are faced with a task of meticulous calculations.
In the case of the Palashbari tragedy, where several hundred people are feared crushed to death, it is probably "a case of utter negligence" on the part of the proprietor, the engineers and architects, experts said.
Md Aqbdul Bari, the Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka, told The Daily Star they had conducted an investigation into whether the public canal was encroached upon or not.
"The Assistant Commissioner has just submitted in writing that the canal was not encroached upon by Spectrum Sweaters Ltd. when it built the structure that collapsed," Bari said.
A physical inspection on the eastern side of the building strongly suggests that the building was on the canal, however, while on the far eastern side, another building under construction has visibly encroached the canal.