 Champlain Towers South Collapse Site (Surfside, Florida) Miami housing complex, two-thirds built over 30 years, huge repair costs approaching The decision to repair high-rise homes along the coast is often left to the board of directors. By Laura Kusisto, Jon Kamp and Daniela Hernandez / Photographs by Maria Alejandra Cardona for The Wall Street Journal July 15, 2021 09:09 JST Housing construction engineers point out that 30 years after the condominiums in the United States, owners are unable to postpone significant repairs. In Miami, Florida, about two-thirds of all condos are over 30 years old. At the request of The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the Jiro Group, a US real estate information site, has compiled the data. In at least seven cities in the state, 30-year-old condominiums make up about 75% of the total. Many of the old high-rise condominiums are located along the beach, and their aging is accelerating due to salt corrosion. As a result, thousands of buildings have huge repair costs. Moreover, little is known about how to cover the cost. The cause of the accident at Champlain Towers South (40 years old), which collapsed last month in Florida, is still under investigation. At least 95 people were killed in the accident. According to an engineering report in 2018, the building was pointed out with multiple problems such as corrosion of concrete and inadequate waterproofing of foundations. Building materials such as stucco, windows and roofing boards are usually said to reach their "useful life" in just 20 years. This is an industry term that refers to the need for replacement of building materials and major repairs. More than half of condos in the United States are at least 30 years old, according to Jiro. Many of these dilapidated buildings are concentrated in coastal cities. In Miami, nearly 40% of residential units are condominiums, the largest proportion in major US metropolitan areas. Building inspectors need to approve most condominiums before the first inhabitants move in, but subsequent surveillance is extremely limited in most counties. In many cases, local authorities leave the decision of repairs to the board of directors of each condominium. Boards are usually made up of unpaid volunteers and rarely include people with expertise, building managers, engineers, and so on. The board needs to decide what repairs are needed and then convince the owner to cut down on savings or borrow money to bear the costs. Many of the owners are temporary residents and the elderly.  Search for missing persons continues at the site of the collapse Condominiums that have been postponed for decades require huge costs to repair roof leaks and cracks in concrete columns. However, few condominiums know this amount at hand. I learned from interviews with construction lawyers and structural engineers. Immediately before the collapse of Champlain Towers South, the board's head told residents that repairs, such as concrete repairs, would cost more than $ 15 million. "When the bill comes in, it's a ridiculous amount." David Haver, a Miami lawyer who specializes in condominium law, points out: "Everyone wants first aid, sometimes threatening the safety of life." Residents of Manatees, an 11-story condominium in Surfside, Florida, had a hard time reaching an agreement a few years ago over how to cover the cost of a major repair. In Florida, there was a rush to build condominiums in the 1970s and 1980s, and the condominium was built in 1974. Miami-Dade County requires building inspections 40 years old. As the manatees approached their deadline in 2014, millions of dollars of repairs were needed. This includes windbreak doors, electrical systems, and corrosion repairs. Former accountant Islay Kirschner, 77, who served on the condominium's board for 12 years, was estimated to cost $ 3.5 million at the time. But in the end, the cost went up to nearly $ 7 million. He, who lives on the 9th floor, paid $ 47,500. Residents who were dissatisfied with the additional costs and the need for repairs continued to oppose the condominium, which took about five years to complete. Nelson Castellanos, who was a director at the time, revealed. A highway engineer before retirement, he said: "Suddenly, all the residents start to think that they are structural engineers."  Condominiums line up near the collapsed Champlain Towers South ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How do structural catastrophes occur? "Two ways. Gradually, then Suddenly.” ― Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises
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This blog post is part of the transfer of information to the new Strata Committee in reference to the Capital Works Fund Analysis component of the Master Plan. Over the past year, I had engaged with a number of interested owners and a broad range of professional advisors to establish a comprehensive list of remedial, maintenance and improvement elements for our building. Many of the steps taken to establish the Capital Works Fund Analysis are recorded on various blog posts which are consolidated below:
The Capital Works Fund Analysis has been crafted using the Google Suite documents and sheets with numerous active links which makes the analysis readily updateable. The document and sheets are a little complex, but I am happy to assist the strata committee to update as necessary. It would be prudent to do at least annual updates of the Capital Works Fund Analysis. Attached below is the Capital Works Fund Analysis v210408. 
Section 2.1 Main Entry Improvements & Remedial Work Section 2.1 of the Capital Works Fund Analysis is of particular interest as it presents engineered and tendered work to address garden bed and other leaks as well as major improvements to the main entry walkway. The analysis presents the work comprehensively, but a number of the elements may be segregated for deferral or elimination. Some parts of the work could be re-tendered, but have been used in the analysis as budgetary reference. The separation of elements is a bit complex, but my familiarity with the tender process allows me to help the strata committee in preparation for representing alternatives to the Owners Corporation. Some possible modifications to the tendered work could include:
Evolving Conditions As discussed during the 8 April 2021 Strata Committee Meeting, the conditions at our building continuously evolve. Since the preparation of the above attached Capital Works Fund Analysis, significant condition changes have occurred or have been brought to light including:
Roof Leak After the extreme weather of early April 2021, leaks through the ceilings of the Level 4 hallway and of Unit 19 appeared. The blog post "Roof Leak" dated 2 May 2021 provides information on this matter and has been updated since the initial post. Please use this link to go to the blog post: Roof Leak At the bottom of this post is a quote for repairing the roof in the former BBQ area including a synthetic membrane and new cavity flashing. Unit 2 Terrace I was unaware of any issues with the Unit 2 Terrace, and the 2016 Capital Works Fund Analysis made no mention of the Unit 2 Terrace. However as water seals in many common areas have been failing, I added to the current Capital Works Fund Analysis a provisional sum for addressing the Unit 2 Terrace resurfacing. When the Unit owner read the current Capital Works Fund Analysis, she drew to my attention that the matter had been presented to a number of previous strata committees, but no action had been taken. The owner reported to me in April 2021 that:
My initial observation is that it appears that the Unit 2 Terrace does not have proper drainage. It appear that the terrace drainage is configured as shown in the following cross-section view.  It appears that the drain opening is well above the concrete slab with water accumulating in the brick paver and sand bed area. It would be prudent to inspect the garage ceiling under the Unit 2 Terrace to identify any other drains that may drain from the concrete slab level; and to inspect the underside of the slab of any water penetration. I am willing to assist the strata committee in such an inspection. I arranged for a remedial builder and water sealant specialist to make observations of the terrace. A brick paver was removed and the underlying sand bed was saturated with water although it was at a time of an extended dry period. The photos below are of the removed brick paver.   At the bottom of this post is a quote for sealing the Unit 2 Terrace slab with a synthetic membrane and resurfacing the area with a new paver system. Garden Bed 7 During the heavy rains of early April 2021, Garden Bed 7 had extreme evidence of possible hydrostatic pressure causing water to leak through the sealant on the sides of the garden bed. Garden Beds 6-9 are in the existing Capital Works Fund Analysis, but were differed for consideration in later years. However, the evidence shown in the photos below may warrant advancing remedial work of these garden beds to a much sooner time. Footpath & Driveway Early last year, I had contacted Council regarding our footpath and driveway that was damaged with the installation of the powerline underground. The Council advised that the footpath and driveway would be repaired in November 2020, but that obviously did not occur. When speaking with the Council engineer onsite, he made the commitment to coordinate with our strata to coordinate works so that our pavers could be adjusted concurrent with the driveway reinstatement to allow us to reduce the crowning in that area. The photo below was taken on 10 May 2021 and shows some numbers that are equivalent to the length and width of the footpath/driveway area; hopefully the work will commence soon.  It is recommended that the strata committee contact Council to coordinate work in this area. Remedial Builder Quotes During the inspections of the Roof and the Unit 2 Terrace, I asked a builder to provide some quotes for work to address the issues. These quotes help assess our potential exposure to costs, but may not be the desired solutions. However, the quotes do also provide a basis to begin discussing remedial solutions. The document with the quotes are attached below. The flood testing is for testing various areas of the former BBQ area aiming to identify the possible area(s) of water egress through surface penetration. The former BBQ area has an extensively crackled surface; and has some fissures which may align with active cracks in the concrete substrate. It would not be necessary to do such a flood test if the quote for the synthetic membrane is awarded as a flood test of the installed membrane would be included. It is presumed that the responsibility of Hydex for the roof condition has not yet been agreed. The Unit 2 quote is for removing/disposing existing pavers and sand bed, sealing the terrace slab with a synthetic membrane, and installing a system that suspends and levels new pavers. The system is demonstrated on the following link elmich.com.au/products/versipave-2/. As noted above, more immediate investigation is warranted for the Unit 2 Terrace drainage. The ultimate solution may be a more scaled back solution such as removing the pavers and sand bed, screeding the area with falls to the drains. lowering drains to screed/tile level, water sealing with an appropriate sealant, and tiling the entire terrace. During the design consideration, evaluation and plans for the cavity and door flashing must also be considered. I am available to assist the strata committee to begin the evaluations.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 8 July 2021 Update Our new strata committee received a quotation from Hydex to address the deleterious conditions at the Unit 2 terrace. I crafted the following email to help the Unit 2 owner and the strata committee evaluate the Hydex quote which is attached below. Thank you for sharing the quote, and I am pleased that there is some action related to your terrace. However, I will highlight a few concerns. Planning You may recall that I provided a handover of materials related to potential works at SP34151 on the 42VP blog. The SC has not acknowledged receipt of the handover materials and has not contacted me for discussion. The blog post regarding your terrace had the following:
Tendering The tender from RFRB that I arranged was intended to help us in the budget planning. As the issue came to my attention just before the AGM, I asked for a solution and price from one contractor. However based on Owners Corporation agreed priority, I had planned to prepare a scope of works and request for tender with a pricing schedule to submit to 3 or 4 contractors. For this type of work and cost, it is very prudent to conduct a thorough, clear, fair and competitive tender process. It seems odd to me for the process to be exclusive to Hydex and without a thorough scope of works provided by the SC. In my opinion, we should not engage Hydex until all outstanding issues with the prior roof works have been reconciled to the satisfaction of the majority of the Owners Corporation. My recommendation is to:
Hydex Tender The scope of work in the Hydex tender appears broadly aligned to my brief on the blog: "The ultimate solution may be a more scaled back solution such as removing the pavers and sand bed, screeding the area with falls to the drains.", except some key aspects were not included such as drainage and cavity flashing. Note the following comparison of the Hydex quote with the RFRB quote:  The above are just some quick thoughts to help evaluate the Hydex submission; and more inclusive consideration is prudent. As always, I am willing to help facilitate this process. Attached below is the Hydex quote, and attached just above this 8 July 2021 update is the RFRB quote [42vp_quote_roof_and_unit_2.pdf].
This blog post is part of the transfer of information to the new Strata Committee in reference to the Aesthetic Vision component of the Master Plan. Over the past year, I had engaged with a number of interested owners and a design consultant to establish a consensus for an Aesthetic Vision for our building. Many of the steps taken to establish the Aesthetic Vision are recorded on various blog posts which are consolidated below:
Supplementary Notes:
This blog post is part of the transfer of information to the new Strata Committee in reference to Fire Safety. There had been major confusion about fire safety in our building with:
The following links are to various blog posts which document this journey to a rational fire safety approach:
Attached below are the more recent documents.
During early April 2021, there were consistent storm and rain events which resulted in flooding in many areas of NSW. Our building had steady rain with strong winds from the Northeast. Initially, it seemed that our building survived the storms, but within days water ingress was apparent in the Level 4 hallway and in Unit 19. The gyprock ceilings in both locations were saturated and quickly developed mold.
The photo below is from the main bedroom of Unit 19. 
The strata committee arranged for an inspection hole to be cut into the Unit 19 ceiling and another in the Level 4 hallway. Both holes were later covered with a plastic vent grill. The Unit 19 water ingress appears to be coming from flashing along the emergency stairwell wall above the roof; and from the surface of the roof in the former BBQ area. The water ingress in the hallway does not have an obvious path and could be associated with any of a number of roof penetrations (e.g. roof drain under lift motor room gangway, water pipes from hot water heaters, or a fractured hob).
The photo below is our buildings roof with the former BBQ area shown in solid white colour. 
In late 2018, the former strata committee arranged for roof resurfacing. Pricing was received by two contractors with similar but different scopes of work. Armourtech provided a quote of $199,800 and excluded certain work which may have been required. Hydex provided a quote of $75,900 without exclusions and was approximately 62% less than the Armourtech quote. It is unclear why the former strata committee selected the extremely lower quote other than for the very low price.
It does not appear that a contract was signed with Hydex, but perhaps the work by Hydex was engaged by a simple work order from the Strata Manager referencing the Hydex quote. The Hydex quote does not provide any guarantee or warranty, but Home Building Compensation Fund (HBCF) insurance was provided by Hydex and is currently registered with iCare. Unfortunately, a claim cannot be made through HBCF unless the contractor is bankrupt or disappears. And without a formal contract, it may be difficult to cause Hydex to undertake full remedial work. However, the strata committee has met with Hydex on the roof; and Doug (Hydex manager) indicated his goodwill intent to start evaluating the circumstances. The original Hydex scope of work was:
The strata committee has made visual observations of the conditions of the roof and it appears that the Hydex work was poorly conducted. These observations were made in consultation with a remedial builder, a roofing specialist and a sealant manufacturer with the following concerns highlighted:
The photos below were recently taken on the roof beyond the former BBQ area. The strata committee has the following elements underway to develop a remedial strategy for the roof:
4 May 2021 Update Attached below is a condition report from Sika Australia Pty Ltd (a waterproofing and roofing specialist) documenting observations during a 19 April 2021 visit of the roof at 42 Victoria Parade.
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10 May 2021 Update Hi Steve B and the SC I've been enjoying my SP34151 SC retirement, but today I had a couple owners asking me about the roof. I referred them to y'all and the blog. I am quite busy at the moment with other stuff, but I will get some free time later in the week to compile information transfer. Last week when I first met with Doug from Hydex, I showed him the problems with the flashing work he did; and I suggested that he do some flood tests in some other areas. However, I did not go through all the problems with the earlier Hydex roof work as I wanted to preserve his goodwill intent. A couple days later, he called me to join him to set up some flood tests. I suggested the potential areas and left him with Geoff. I understand that some minimal efforts have been proposed by Hydex for the hot water heater penetrations and the roof access door jam. The problem is that quick patches may appear to work, but the same weather conditions that led to the leaks may not reappear for years while the pathways for water ingress remain unresolved. The leak associated with the flood test around the hot water heaters may only be associated with the flood test itself, and not the original storm cause. It is good to have those penetrations sealed, but it may not be the only problem. There is flashing in that area and there is a fractured hob that may also be candidates for water ingress. A carefully executed flood test would have used water in all suspect areas with different colouring for each suspected area. The roof access door jam may be a pathway for water ingress into the cavity, but properly installed flashing should have the ends boxed in and sealant applied all around. There are most likely problems with the flashing in a number of areas [note: the original Hydex scope was to replace 14 metres of flashing]. My biggest concern is that Hydex completes a couple quick patches and is not held accountable for the poor work across the entire roof conducted a couple years ago. In addition to the current leaks, I suspect that other areas of the roof may have problems in the coming years due to the work done by Hydex. I strongly encourage that SP34151 hold Hydex fully accountable for the deficient work and damage due to that work. A while back, I had a remedial builder (RFRB), a sealant manufacturer (Sika), and a synthetic membrane specialist (Omar) join me for a roof inspection. Sika wrote a report on some observations. The report was attached to the 'Roof Leak' blog post [42vp.blog] before the AGM. The report is focused on the roof sealant and application and potential solution considerations. The blog post I wrote summarises the discussion with the remedial builder, sealant manufacturer, and synthetic membrane specialist. Of course, they have their interests in the exercise, but so does Hydex. The flashing which is not mentioned in the report was very poorly done by Hydex, and discussions with Doug from Hydex gave the impression that flashing is outside Hydex competency. SC - Please contact me to arrange a time for us to meet on the roof so I may show you particular issues from the report and the blog post. Regards Ed ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 19 May 2021 Update As noted above:
A concrete scarifier is a very aggressive tool when preparing a concrete surface and should only be used when the surface will have a thick surface coating such as screed before a thin coat sealant. It does not appear that any thick surface coating had been applied. The images below is a concrete scarifier and the existing condition of our roof due to the probable use of a concrete scarifier.
I am currently involved with another roof where surface preparation is underway. This other roof is having the concrete surface prepared with concrete grinders which are much less aggressive than a concrete scarifier. The images below are of the concrete grinder and of the concrete surface after preparation. Note the concrete surface at the other roof does not have the deep grooves and gouges that we have on our roof.
The concrete surface after using a concrete grinder is much more suitable for thin coat sealant. The video below shows a concrete scarifier in use with the presenter advising against using a concrete scarifier when a thin coat surface is used.
It appears that large areas of our roof has a thin coat sealant over a coarse surface created by a concrete scarifier resulting in highly variable sealant thicknesses across our roof.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 12 July 2021 Update Water has leaked again into the main bedroom of Unit 4. The owner of Unit 4 has tried some water ingress tests including testing the flashing (along lower bricks of external wall) which was repaired a couple years ago. With that test, no water ingress was observed. Later, I observed that the flashing above the entryway to the building had some suspect flashing. See the photos below which indicate that the flashing has some problems:
Displayed in the foyer are two tiles for your consideration; and that may be included in the Aesthetic Vision for 42 Victoria Parade. This is the third iteration of tile nomination (hopefully the final). These tiles are the same pattern/colour, but one would be for interior application and the other for exterior application. Please feel free to send your comments by email to the Strata Committee via email to:
[email protected] 
Attached below are the minutes of the Strata Committee Meeting held on 8 April 2021. The meeting was frustrated by disruptive conduct resulting in the agenda being unfulfilled; and no discussion of the main objective to refine resolution proposals for the AGM in particular for a CWF levy to begin addressing the growing list of improvements and remedial work. The strata committee believes that the majority of owners wish for improvements and remedial work to move forward constructively. The Master Plan was meant to be the objective basis to move forward with constructive owner dialogue. Unfortunately, the next steps have been deferred until after the next AGM. The good news items are:
  Steve Babamovski, our Strata Manager from Bright & Duggan will chair the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the SP34151 Owners Corporation on 4 May 2021 at 6pm. Attached below is the AGM Agenda. The AGM will held at: Community Northern Beaches 52 Raglan St, Manly NSW 2095, Australia If you cannot attend in person, video conference access is available via: Join with Google Meet meet.google.com/xhc-yquw-keh Join by phone (AU) +61 2 9051 4993 PIN: 509 498 732# The AGM has a number of peculiar resolutions for consideration. In the coming days, the Strata Committee will provide a briefing to all owners for a better understanding of the resolutions. Also, the roof of the building has had a major leak affecting Unit 19 and the Level 4 hallway. The Strata Committee is currently investigating circumstances associated with the roof leak and will provide a briefing to all owners in the coming days.
Our Strata Management Company, Bright & Duggan has had another and sudden change to the representative assigned to serve as our strata manager. This representative change will be the fourth assignment in the past year. The new strata manager has not yet commenced employment with Bright & Duggan, but has accepted the offer of employment.
Meanwhile, we have temporary support to address emergency issues and to schedule meetings for the new strata manager. Your Strata Committee (SC) has locked in meeting dates to get the new strata manager immediately involved with our strata upon his/her employment commencement on 6 April 2021. Please make note of the dates for the following scheduled meetings:
The SC will send out a formal invitation and agenda for the Strata Committee Meeting with relevant documents in late March. These documents will also be available on the strata blog. Extract from Bright & Duggan notice SP34151 - 42-44 Victoria Parade, MANLY NSW 2095 "Temporary appointment of strata manager We write regarding a temporary change in your assigned Strata Manager. We unfortunately advise that your recently appointed strata manager Ben Major-Mills has found that the position was not suitable for him and has resigned his position with Bright & Duggan effective immediately. In order to facilitate the continuous management of your scheme until the newly appointed manager is available, we have appointed Chanel Henry-Win to service your scheme until 6 April 2021. This is a temporary appointment, and we are aware that such a change can be challenging for all involved. The contact email for Chanel Henry-Win is [email protected]. We understand that with this inconvenience, comes frustration. We want to assure you that we are committed to servicing your needs and are putting additional resources in place to ensure your building is serviced. So we can ensure you are continually supported, please be assured that all of our specialist teams are continuing to assist and manage their areas of expertise for the total management of the building. Bright & Duggan will be in correspondence when the newly appointed manager is implemented and finalised to give you contact details. Thank you for your understanding and patience during this brief period of change over and we apologise for any temporary inconvenience incurred." The B&D management team has stated that all scheduled meeting have been suspended until the new (after 6 April) strata manager is available to reschedule the meetings.
3 March 2021 Update: Our new strata manager and his assistant have suddenly resigned from Bright & Duggan. All planned meetings have been suspended; and a temporary strata manager has been assigned for emergency issues. The Strata Committee has been waiting for feedback from the former strata manager, but the support for the upcoming SC meeting has not been provided. However, the SC will arrange for the SC meeting in mid-March.
Original Post: The SC is very busy pulling together a range of loose ends in preparation for a formal Strata Committee Meeting and the subsequent AGM. The SC intends to submit to the Owners Corporation the proposed Master Plan with documents associated with Capital Works Fund Analysis (10 yr Plan); Aesthetic Vision; and Fire Safety Measures. Conditions for preparation are frustrated by a new strata manager that is overstretched; contractors delinquent in providing pricing; and an outstanding update to the Fire Safety Measure Report. Nonetheless, the SC will endeavour to get these documents to the Owners Corporation as soon as possible. Ben, our new strata manager had suggested 7 April 2021 for our AGM. However, the SC has been unable to communicate with him to confirm arrangements. We hope he is available to discuss next week. 
3 March 2021 Update: Our new strata manager and his assistant have suddenly resigned from Bright & Duggan. All planned meetings have been suspended; and a temporary strata manager has been assigned for emergency issues. The Strata Committee has been waiting for feedback from the former strata manager, but the support for the upcoming SC meeting has not been provided. However, the SC will arrange for the SC meeting in mid-March. Original Post: Bright & Duggan has appointed another new team to look after our Strata. Over the past 8 months, we have had a few changes:
Scott Jeffries (Assistant) [email protected] These many changes have complicated service levels to our Strata. Ben came to introduce himself to the Strata Committee and to review our building. Ben is new to Bright & Duggan, but has been working in strata management for a number of years. The Strata Committee is confident that Ben and Scott will provide good service once they become familiar with Bright & Duggan and our Strata issues.  Great News! After years of speculation and maintenance avoidance, we have definite test results that "no asbestos was detected" in samples from our fire doors by an independent environmental consultant and laboratory. The report by Hibbs & Associates Pty Ltd is attached. We can now proceed with repairs to our various fire doors without the excessive hygiene burden associated with doors containing asbestos. An earlier asbestos survey did not address the fire doors. The Hibbs report will set beside that earlier asbestos register to make clear that asbestos is not a concern with our fire doors.  Extract from report. See attached report below for full details of test results.
This morning, the locks of the main entry door and the garage lift door have been repaired. They work so nicely now.
Some of you may recall the aesthetic vision process we conducted involving Divine Designs and a number of interested owners (see the 30JUN20 post: Aesthetic Vision - Divine Designs). After that meeting, our designer disappeared for more than two months. Eventually under pressure by the SC, our designer returned in September to hold another meeting with interested owners when a specific tile selection was made for our external and internal areas. The designer assured us that the tile would be available for the next couple years. The SC is currently preparing the scope of work for external improvements including new tiles. The SC checked on the nominated tile availability and pricing, only to find that the tile presented by our designer had been discontinued some time ago. The SC has nominated a new tile (see photo below) for our external and internal areas. These ties will be on display near the building entrance for the next week. Please have a look and let the SC know what you think. 
Our strata has had a gardener for a number of years, yet our gardens had not been well tended to. The gardener never reported to the SC and was rarely seen onsite. Yet, regular invoices were submitted to our strata manager for payment. That gardener has been terminated and Leonardo is our new trial gardener. The SC held discussions with various candidates. Leonardo offered his services at half the cost of the previous gardener and is keen to demonstrate his worth to our strata. The SC will coordinate with Leonardo for some modest improvements over the next couple months.
In 2018, an Asbestos survey was undertaken for our building, and as Asbestos Register was created. Unfortunately, this survey was not comprehensive and did not consider fire doors or make any mention of the fire doors. It is unclear why the fire doors were overlooked as there has been speculation for many years by multiple parties that our fire doors may have asbestos. Our recent fire safety measure assessment specifically stated that our unit fire doors have asbestos. The SC took one sample from a unit fire door and had it tested by a certified laboratory. The result was negative for asbestos. With this uncertainty and the burden that asbestos in our doors could bring, the SC has arranged for formal testing and reporting. The report would sit beside the earlier asbestos register to provide a more comprehensive paired register. The report will also allow us to make appropriate decisions in regard to meeting our statutory requirements for the fire doors. The SC will coordinate with unit occupants to allow visual assessment of all doors; and with specific unit occupants (4, 6, 9 & 19) for physical sampling. Monday 14 December 2020 at 9:30am  Hibbs will be the service provider for this important work which will assess:
1. Visually inspect the spine of all fire doors to record details of the compliance plate (if one is present). Note only four of the unit doors will have the spine inspected which is considered representative of all suspect unit fire doors. 2. Sample the following fire doors:
4. Prepare a Fire Door Asbestos Register for the building including photographs For many months, the Strata Committee had been chasing ElectraLift to complete some cleanup after the lift upgrade; and to cleanup the lift motor room after a service technician overfilled oil in a gearbox. The SC brought to bear leverage with other sites also having subpar servicing. ElectraLift immediately responded at 42 Victoria Parade and other sites to demonstrate their intent for proper servicing. The SC will continue to monitor their level of service. The photos below show before and after conditions within a couple days of the SC complaint.     Please let the SC know if you are the owner of the chairs in the pictures above. Otherwise, the chairs will be disposed within the next fortnight.    
What's happening at Pacific Harbour?
Spring has come and the uncertainty of the Pandemic is beginning to subside. This has brought some optimism and hope for brighter days ahead. On these bright Spring days, residents and owners more clearly see the deteriorating conditions of our building and wonder what's happening at 42 Victoria Parade. When the Pandemic first stormed into our lives, the Strata Committee (SC) made the commitment to put most big things on hold and to keep the strata levies unchanged. Meanwhile the neighbouring construction marched to completion allowing the SC access to the boundary to investigate conditions of our building in that area. It was clear that the timber lattice along the entry walkway was very hazardous and urgent action was required. At that time there was uncertainty in the building industry and builders and trades were expecting to be shut down. The SC obtained a very competitive quote to replace the dilapidated lattice with a brick rendered wall consistent with an earlier Owners Corporation approved plan for external lighting. The SC discussed this with a couple owners which resulted in a few owners raising strong opposition, and a broader campaign of irrational discontent. The SC worked with the neighbouring builder to temporarily stabilise the dilapidated lattice, and to sting hazard tape along it. The SC began a thorough process of investigating a number of areas of our building that required remedial work that had been overlooked by an earlier 10-year plan. Concurrently, the SC began a methodical approach to unravelling a misguided and costly approach to fire safety in our building. The SC invited all owners to a meeting where a thorough presentation and discussion of these two major concerns were made clear. The general consensus was for the SC to:
Many owners may be unaware or have forgotten that the SC provides ongoing updates of SC activities on the strata blog: 42vp.blog Please click on the link above and have a read through the blog for detailed information on a range of relevant strata matters. Note that the blog is in reverse chronological order with the most recent post at the top. There are a number of other current SC activities that have not yet been posted on the blog, but will be as time permits. Please do not share the link with others outside the Owners Corporation as much of the blog contains confidential information. What's the path forward? Northern Beaches Consulting is preparing a request for tender to undertake remedial work on garden beds, walls, and other structures; replace the dilapidated timber lattice with a rendered brick wall; retile entry and some terrace areas; external painting; and other entryway improvements. Pricing will be structured into certain elements. Unfortunately for us, the building, trades and engineering market has boomed soon after the early days of the Pandemic. Availability of these skilled entities is scarce and prices have surged. The SC had instructed Northern Beaches Consulting to conduct the tender before the holidays, but it seems unlikely at this time. Builders generally expect four weeks to prepare their tender submissions with the range of work involved. Also, most builders have extended holidays until at least mid-January. Most owners may be aware that the contents of one garden bed were removed recently to allow an understanding of what to expect for the tendered work. This should allow for significantly improved pricing for the garden bed remedial work. As it seems commencement of work will be delayed, the SC may undertake some modest effort to improve the appearance of that garden bed. Complete Fire Certification (CFC) has been contracted to conduct annual fire safety assessments. This is our first step toward meeting our fire safety statutory requirements. CFC has recently completed our first fire safety measure assessment. As expected, we have an extensive list of critical defects. The SC is currently rationalising and prioritising the list with some repairs already underway. The most significant cost component is associated with our fire doors and the potential for them to contain asbestos. The SC is currently making arrangements for formal testing of a representative sample of the doors. Once this is complete, then pricing to bring our fire safety measures into compliance may be obtained. The SC aims to have accurate pricing for the two concerning matters discussed above, with a new Capital Works Fund Analysis (10 Year Plan) for presentation to the Owners Corporation at the next AGM. Our financial year ends in January, and the hope is that firm pricing is available in time for a February 2020 AGM. Our strata has had a gardener for a number of years, yet our gardens are not well tended to. The gardener never reports to the SC and is rarely seen onsite. Yet, regular invoices were submitted to our strata manager for payment. That gardener has been terminated and new gardener candidates are being considered. Discussions with new candidates will be used to shape the scope of services in light of the planned remedial work. It will be good to have the new gardener's involvement as the garden beds are being reinstated. And, the new gardener may have a modest temporary suggestion to improve the appearance of the recently emptied garden bed. Community The required work at our building is complicated and expensive, but our funds are very limited. The SC has been steadily crafting sensible methods to prudently address the various issues such that strata funds are wisely invested. The SC appreciated the many supportive owners for their constructive feedback and encouragement. There is a small element that continues to sow seeds of discontent. There has also been some unauthorised tinkering with devices and settings by someone. The SC encourages all owners and residents to constructively engage with the SC for the benefit of all stakeholders at 42 Victoria Parade. Remember Stay informed! Please frequently check our blog to have a better understanding of What's Happening at Pacific Harbour? 42vp.blog The SC email address is [email protected] A suggestion register is available at 42vp.info
It is mandatory for an Owners Corporation to have a 10 year capital works fund on file and must review the plan at least every 5 years. In November 2016, a document titled: SINKING FUND ANALYSIS REPORT For the property known as ‘PACIFIC HARBOUR' was prepared by a consulting firm. In the past 18 months, the Strata Committee (SC) has regarded that document as misaligned with Strata Plan 1986 Owners Corporation (OC) priorities; misguided in some recommendations; and inadequate as a basis for setting strata levies. The SC sites the following examples:
It is unreasonable to expect a consulting firm on a fixed, low-price contract to produce an adequate analysis without a thorough insightful briefing from the OC. It is also unreasonable to expect the Strata Manager (Bright & Duggan) to provide such a briefing. Over the past 18 months, the SC has embarked on a thorough assessment of a range of existing conditions, relevant statutory requirements, practical solutions, and costing by speaking with a range of relevant experts such as aesthetics consultant; remedial builders; specialist engineers; tradesmen; suppliers; Northern Beaches Council; and our strata manager (Bright & Duggan). For these reasons, the SC has elected to prepare this analysis themselves with oversight by our strata manager. In early 2020, the World began to learn of an emerging COVID-19 pandemic. Our government took decisive actions, yet there was great uncertainty for our social and economic norms. As such, the SC put the SP34151 Annual General Meeting (AGM) on hold with the commitment to keep strata levies unchanged. The SC focus was to thoroughly prepare engineering requirements and costing for some majors works to be presented to the OC while undertaking a wide range of minor works. The SC has had individual and group discussions with most of the OC members. It is clear that OC members wish for significant improvements to the external entryway and internal hallways; and to meet the statutory requirements for fire safety. It is also clear that the OC members are polarised with regard to the funding of desired improvements and requirements. As such, the SC is crafting this Capital Works Fund Analysis in a manner that would allow an interactive consideration in real time with the Owners Corporation at an AGM. The SC aims to have this document prepared by sometime in December 2020. 
The SC has arranged for annual and biannual fire safety measure assessments to meet our minimum fire safety statutory obligations with Complete Fire Certification (CFC). As expected, our fire safety measures had significantly degraded over the years without adequate assessment or repairs. So far, we have not yet had Council oversight since we have been quietly under their radar. However, it is likely that Council will audit our building and would impose strict compliance and upgrade requirements for our fire safety measures and other standards. It is in the Owners Corporation's best interest to urgently meet our minimum statutory obligations. CFC has complete an initial draft of his report (see link below) which has an extensive list of critical defects with our fire safety measures.
At a first read of the assessment, it appears very concerning, and it is. However, the SC is taking a considered and a methodical approach to addressing the many and varied fire safety measure issues. Many of which resulted from long-term neglect. The most important measures to consider are:
Fire Hydrant System For many years, the only fire measure to have regular inspection was the fire hydrant system which was most recently conducted by Wormald. The SC has terminated Wormald and that service is now conducted by CFC. Despite the years of inspection by Wormald, our fire hydrant system had significantly degraded with failed components such as:
Smoke Alarms in Units It is generally understood that smoke alarms in individual units are the responsibility of the unit owners. Property managers have pushed investors to undertake their recommended services to annually check smoke alarms in the investment unit. This has created some redundancy and some gaps in servicing of smoke alarms. Despite any possible mutual responsibility, the Owners Corporation is ultimately responsible to ensure that smoke detectors are continuously operational and routinely checked. CFC identified many smoke alarms that failed assessment due to a range of reasons including: broken; flat battery; too old; and improperly located. It would be prudent for the strata to assume primary responsibility for servicing and installing all smoke alarms. Council fire orders generally include a requirement for all smoke alarms to be hard wired for power. If strata assumed responsibility for unit smoke alarms, then it is prudent for strata to introduce a standard smoke alarms which is hard wired. The SC is currently assessing the feasibility of hard wiring smoke alarms. Fire Doors Fire doors are another fire safety measure that has been neglected for many years with critical defects such as:
There is an observable millboard core, but asbestos use in fire doors was generally discontinued by 1982. The SC is skeptical about the presence of asbestos in our doors; and has taken a sample for testing by a laboratory which showed negative for asbestos. Now, the SC will arrange for formal sampling and testing of a few fire door cores so the Owners Corporations can make informed decisions about fire door rectification. Unraveling the many years of neglect and misunderstanding of fire safety measures requires careful consideration and measured actions to get us onto an appropriate path for responsible fire safety measure assurance. The SC is actively taking actions to define required actions and associated costs for consideration by the Owners Corporation.
Nearly every time we have strong wind and rain, our hot water is interrupted. The water gets into the rooftop shelter that houses the hot water heaters. The water makes its way to the power points and the electric circuits trip. The SC arranged for an electrician to check the circuits, but the electrician was unable to eliminate the problem. The SC has now arranged for a hot water technician to evaluate the issue. We hope the problem is fixed this evening....
7pm update - The second team tried and failed. The manufacturer's technician has been contacted is expected to be onsite by 9pm. Let's keep our fingers crossed! 10:30pm update - So far we have had two trades people here today, who could not fix the problem with the hot water. By 8pm the manufacturer's technician arrived, and now almost two and a half hour later they have managed to get one out of four boilers working. They will keep working through the night, and hopefully we will all be able to have a hot shower in the morning. The problem is caused by the extreme weather conditions. We need to take preventative measures to avoid a repeat event in the future. That will entail creating a shelter to prevent rain water getting contact with the electrical connections. Sunrise update - The manufacturer's technician managed to fix three out of four boilers last night, so we have hot water again. He recommended that all boilers get serviced when they have dried out. We may also have one water circulation pump not functioning. What's next - The incoming rain shorted out the electronic controls of all hot water heaters. The technician managed to replace the electronics on three of the four heaters. The SC will arrange for the fourth hot water heater and the second hot water circulation pump to be repaired. Also, the SC is making arrangements for improvements to the hot water heater shelter to mitigate the damaging effects of driving rains.
The contents of Garden Bed 1 were removed today (22 October 2020). The conditions initially discovered are:
Tomorrow, the SC will arrange for an electrician to isolate the light power supply, and for a plumber to cap the irrigation supply line.
This information will allow us to prepare tender specifications; and provides greater clarity to tendering builders. Over the next several weeks, a request for tender document will be prepared by Northern Beaches Consulting. And then, appropriated builders will be invited to tender garden bed repairs and other improvements to the entry walkway. |
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