Browse Forums Building A New House Re: SLAB FALLING APART !, can I hold up frame stage payment? 41Nov 10, 2011 7:35 pm What about a structural engineer? Eg. StructuralWorks in Melbourne? 13-08 Moved in 13-05 Build restart 13-04 VMIA compensation 12-08 Builder liquidation 12-03 Fixing 11-12 Lockup 11-11 Frame 11-09 Slab 11-09 Start 11-07 Contract 10-11 2K deposit 10-06 Titled land Re: SLAB FALLING APART !, can I hold up frame stage payment? 42Nov 10, 2011 9:04 pm AE86 @Aussiemark, Thank you for your advice. We contacted the building commision who had some great advice for us. @Casa2, To answer your question. the only penalties for the builder are for $250 per week payable to us if it goes over. Update. We sent all 14 pics to our builder yesterday and asked to for a response. The builder acknowledges there is a problem and says my progress payment will be frozen until they have a "resolution" ...didn't say rectified. the builder also says all future building progress will cease ,obviously it is in there best interest other wise they will just have to undo all there future work to repair this mammoth **** up! Our building inspector is on site tomorrow to his/her inspection. The SS refused to meet on site with me and the inspector tomorrow. The builder did say the SS and building manager will meet with us once they have a solution. All I can say is this will cause us major delays whilst having to pay interest on the money we have borrowed already + paying rent. HOW COULD THIS HAVE BEEN SIGNED OFF BY SS AND MY BUILDERS INSPECTOR??? They were hoping i just sign off and not check it.... If i didn't say anything Im wondering would they have just bricked all this up??? My builder didn't mention a damn thing and just sent us the frame stage bill. NOT HAPPY! Ask for the professional Indemnity insurance of the Building Inspector who certified the slab was ok and make contaact with their insurer to place them on notice of a potential claim.....Bet it gets fixed quick smart. Dangerous to continue building with the slab disintergrating like that - could be a whole new rebuild at a later stage if they push on..... Do you have Home Warranty Insuerance Cover??? Also Notify that Insurer of a potential defective works claim and recommend that they might like to inspect it now........ Re: SLAB FALLING APART !, can I hold up frame stage payment? 43Nov 10, 2011 10:38 pm Insurance covers you ONLY if builder dies, or becomes insolvent, so while he is alive forget about your insurance. I would recommend you not to listen some of the recommendations mentioned above, because very soon you will find yourself with unfinished house and at least 50k in legal fees out of your pocket. Mistakes happen everyday and if the builder is happy to fix it then do not cause dramas, forget lawyers, insurances, and other parties, trust me its not worth it. Also you do not need new Structural Engineer, you have one already and he is the one that gave details for that slab and he is liable for it till death, so i would call him if you are concern. If you call anyone else thats your 1k out of your pocket. Re: SLAB FALLING APART !, can I hold up frame stage payment? 44Nov 11, 2011 7:33 am Make sure you talk directly to the structural engineer and get copies of all documentation. Otherwise, get an independant strucutral engineer to check that everythign is done OK. Demolition August 2009, Construction Started September 2009, Completed December 2010 Re: SLAB FALLING APART !, What to do? 45Nov 13, 2011 5:58 am Update.
Builder states they will find a solution and then have a meeting with me "before" rectification occurs. Builder now says they have consulted their engineer and have a resolution (Involving galvanized metal plates) but will have a meeting with me explaining the process "AFTER" the works have taken place. Well if that is what the engineer did suggest I hope there is some concrete packing back in the missing parts of the concrete under the bottom of the frame before they start slapping metal plates covering the hunks of missing concrete. ...My response to my builder saying that I want a meeting before the works take place to explain the process and I want a copy of the engineers report before the works take place also as for piece of mind and to be certain they are doing the right thing by the engineer and not whats "cost effective" for the builder. I Hope I am within my rights to ask for meeting before fixing and seeking engineers papers?. No response from builder as of yet. The colourbond roof went on during the week so obviously the builder is confident this is rectifiable with out any reverse construction taking place. Re: SLAB FALLING APART !, What to do? 48Nov 13, 2011 6:21 pm I'm trying to get my head around what has happened and what the prosposed fix is. It looks like they've used concrete screws - something similar to Ankascrew (http://www.ramset.com.au/Product/Detail ... In-Anchors). I'm no sure what diameter concrete screw they've used, but for a 10 mm screw you need a minimum of 40 mm edge distance. So, if the edge distance is significantly less than 40 mm it would appear that the concrete is OK, but the concrete screws were placed too close to the edge. If they are too close to the edge, perhaps new screws with a minimum edge distance of 40 mm could be placed between the existing screws. If they are not too close to the edge, then the slab is in question and a core sample would be required. Moving onto the fix, where are the galvanised plates going? Some more detail is required to see if it makes sense. Also, if it was my house, I would be there when the rectification works are carried out. Demolition August 2009, Construction Started September 2009, Completed December 2010 Re: SLAB FALLING APART !, What to do? 49Nov 13, 2011 8:29 pm @Casa2, good points made. ...especially in regards to being on site when they do it. Yes i'm trying to figure the plates out also. As far as i can imagine they are going to put it over it like a band aid as when i went up there on Saturday i could see they have written on the slab with chalk the height and width measurements that the plate would cover. I was told by my Builder that the concrete company will be doing the repairs, so if that is true then my guess would be the will be filling the gaps up with concrete and then sticking the plates of the top of it ?. ...uneducated guess of course. I'm starting to get the feeling that my "Volume" builder is starting to play games. If I get any more of a stronger suspicion ill seeking the services of a building solicitor just to get some advice and see exactly what my rights are here, in regards to my request for getting a copy of their engineers report. Re: SLAB FALLING APART !, What to do? 50Nov 14, 2011 7:49 am If they won't give their engineer's report, rather than paying for a solicitor, why not get a structural engineer provide an opinion (before the repair)? Alternatively, take photos of the repair process and run them by a structural engineer after the repair (and the collective wisdom of Homeone members ) If you get a chance I would be interested in the distance from the edge of the slab to the bolts. (Use a straight edge to extend to the unbroken ends of the slab and measure to the bolts. This one measurement will mean as much as whatever the solicitor or structural engineer could say.) Demolition August 2009, Construction Started September 2009, Completed December 2010 Thanks for the insights, that makes perfect sense, and yeah, I will be leaning on the experience of the excavator operator entirely. 6 16149 4 6201 The concreter will take and reuse. In my case I bought structural LVLs and scraped them back and used them as joists. 1 5159 |