RAMANATHAPURAM
Chennai-based Concrete Quality Concepts, an IIT-Madras-incubated company, which had conducted tests to assess the stability of the Government Higher Secondary School at Thinaikulam in the district, has said the ‘stability of the building is good’ but found some of the RC columns ‘severely distressed.’
In its report submitted before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, the company, which carried out ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), rebound hammer (RH), assessment of carbonation, compressive cell and half cell potential tests in February, said the concrete in the near surface portion was in the range of ‘good to very good’.
“The average RH values in RC structural elements of the school building indicate that the quality of concrete in the near surface portion is good to very good, except the RC columns C8 and C10 on the ground floor and C6 on the second floor,” it said.
The average RH values in these RC columns indicated that the quality of concrete in the near surface portion was satisfactory. The average UPV values in a majority of the structural elements could be considered as good and in certain RC columns doubtful, the report said.
The visual inspection and non-destructive tests revealed that the corrosion was predominant in the RC columns of the ground floor and RC lintel beams of the first and the second floors. “However, the RC beams and RC slab on all the three floors did not show any distress bearing in RC beam A8 and B8 in the second floor,” it said.
The severely distressed RC columns on all the three floors should be rehabilitated using micro concrete jacketing, the company suggested. The tile joints in the terrace might be rectified to arrest the leakage with lime grout and repainting, it said.
After the court suo motu took cognisance of media reports that the school building was unsafe for students, the Engineer-in-chief (Buildings) of Public Works Department had ordered the tests.
The building, constructed at a cost of ₹ 1.26 crore, was inaugurated in 2016. After plastering in the walls and columns peeled off, exposing corroded steel rods, the Parent-Teachers’ Association pulled out the students and the block remained locked for about eight months.
