Inspection team finds government buildings poorly built

By PETER WARI
A TEAM of engineers that travelled to Mendi, Southern Highlands, to assess the damage caused to government infrastructure by the earthquakes reported that some contractors did not comply with the building code.
Some buildings crumbled and collapsed and others were damaged extensively when a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck central Highlands.
The engineers said most buildings constructed by the Works Department withstood the earthquakes.
The five engineers headed by Micah Vines, country manager for Parohu EPC Contractors, checked government buildings, roads and bridges and travelled to some districts.
Vines said all the mechanisms of failure they found were simple – an earthquake like the one two weeks ago was not experienced before.
“The reason why infrastructures built by DoW stood up to the earthquakes was because they were properly braced, right bolts and connections used and very firm,” he said.
“But for new buildings built by private contractors costing hundreds and millions of kina, they just crumbled under the force of the magnitude 7.5 earthquake.