No state panel to probe collapse

KUALA TERENGGANU: A plan to set up a state-level committee to investigate the collapse of the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium roof has been shot down by the deputy prime minister.

Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had advised him that there was no need to form an investigative committee in Terengganu as the one set up at the federal level would suffice.

“So, there will be no committee on our side. As advised by the deputy prime minister, it is best that only one committee probe the matter.”

A huge portion of the space frame roofing of the stadium, which was the main venue of the Malaysia Games (Sukma) last year, collapsed on June 2.

There were no casualties.
Following the incident, the state government had planned to form a committee to probe the collapse but a similar committee was also formed by the Works Ministry.

Works Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor said the committee were given six months to complete investigations.

Regarding speculation that two other buildings in Kuala Terengganu were facing similar problems, Ahmad said the defects were not structural.

He admitted that a small section of the Sultan Mahmud airport roof was leaking and that cracks had appeared on the ramp leading to the indoor stadium in Gong Badak.

“But these are not structural defects and pose no danger. They will be rectified soon.”

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Local consultants ‘not involved in roof construction’

KUALA TERENGGANU (NST): The three consultants of the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium project — Protech Consultant, MA Consult and AZN Engineers — have denied involvement in the structural design or construction of the roof which collapsed on Tuesday morning.

A spokesperson for Protech Consultant said the involvement of the three consultant engineering firms, hired by the state government’s Consultant Appointment Committee, was strictly in the civil and structural works of the main stadium structure.

“The construction of the stadium roof was not in the original contract as it was a separate ‘design and build’ project, vetted by the state government’s Tender Committee and approved by the Public Works Department.

“It was a specialised job and efforts must have been made by the Tender Committee to make sure the successful applicants were competent to handle the work.”

He said various trips were made by the committee to South Korea to visit the facilities and factories there in order to be satisfied with its choice of a South Korean company.
“This was in addition to the study trips to Greece and the United Kingdom to make sure that the stadium was at par, if not better, than the best stadiums in the world.”

The spokesperson believed there was nothing wrong with the design or materials used as all engineering values and calculations had to be verified.

“The design is sound. During the monsoon season, the roof did not get blown off by the strong winds. That showed it had passed the wind tunnel or wind load test.

“I believe, on paper, the roof structure was safe. Even before the proposal design was accepted, it had to have the endorsement of an independent consultant here.”

He said perhaps the problem was with the installation or the use of fabrication construction materials of dubious standard.

“The roof was a little asymmetrical from when it was first installed but some experts said it was supposed to move around a bit before settling in place.

“Another problem was during the defect-liability period. The maintenance works had to be done by the contractors and since they were in South Korea, it might have taken them a while to get here.”

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Raja Kamarul Bahrin: I didn’t get full roof details

KUALA TERENGGANU (NST): Details of the space frame design of the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium roof were never fully supplied to its principal architect Datuk Raja Kamarul Baharin Shah Raja Ahmad.

Raja Kamarul Baharin told the New Straits Times that although his company, Senibahri Arkitek was not responsible for the roof, he had voiced his concern to the state Public Works Department.

“Everybody could see that the frame was deformed,” he said.

A Korean contractor was responsible for the design, supply and the installation of the roof, while the rest of the stadium was designed by Senibahri.

He said it was important to obtain details of the roof structure so that engineers could determine if it was suitable.
“I feel this incident could have been avoided if the details had been furnished in full,” said Raja Kamarul Bahrain, who is in Mecca performing umrah.

Raja Kamarul Baharin said he initially did not want to comment on the matter but decided to do so after a television station aired his picture when reporting about the collapse.

This, he said, had put him in a bad light, implying that he was responsible for the debacle.

Employees of the stadium’s management board said it had been common for them to stumble upon screws, nuts and bolts months before the collapse of the roof on Tuesday.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, an employee said the incident did not come as too much of a surprise as they had felt something like this would happen.

Some believed the lack of maintenance — probably because of the height of the roof, estimated to be about 30m high — was one of the reasons for the collapse.

“Maintenance was supposed to be carried out by the main contractors since the stadium has yet to be handed over to the state government,” sources said.

State PWD deputy director Ghazali Hashim said the department had been appointed to investigate the incident which he estimated would take six months to complete.

Ghazali said the stadium was still under the main contractors’ warranty.

The collapsed roof caused many red faces in the state as the RM292 million state-of-the-art stadium was built only about a year ago.

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Photos of collapsed stadium

Photos of the collapsed Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium roof compiled from various sources:

1.  Bernama:

2.  http://buletinonline.net

(click for larger image)

3.  mampat.blogspot.com

4. hardyweb: http://hardyw3b.wordpress.com

5. terengganuleningblogspot

6. Malay Mail:

7.  NST:

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PWD informed a year ago

KUALA TERENGGANU (NST): The State Public Works Department was told about the defects to the roof of the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium a year ago.

And when nothing was done, Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said called a meeting with the PWD three weeks ago and reminded them to look into the problem.

Ahmad wanted the defects rectified as soon as possible as the end of the defect liability period was fast approaching.

“I did not want anything bad to happen. The PWD took steps to address the matter but I cannot comment why it took so long, nor why the roof collapsed,” Ahmad said.

The menteri besar said he had informed PWD to look into the defects immediately after the 12th Malaysia Games (Sukma) last May.
Ahmad said that the state government would now look for foreign experts for a second opinion into the cause of the collapse.

“This way, we can compare the findings of the foreign experts with that of the consultant hired by the PWD, to ensure the findings are consistent and ironclad.

“We will not put a time frame in selecting the foreign consultant. We do not want to carry out a rush job.

“We want a thorough report so that we will not be questioned later on. We don’t want to be embarrassed again.”

The RM292 million stadium, built last year, is now out of operation after a large section of its roof collapsed on Tuesday.

The authorities are nevertheless, counting their blessings, that the roof did not collapse yesterday as the stadium was the venue for the Malaysian Inter-Varsity Staff games.

The event would have seen some 3,000 competitors and officials taking part. As the collapse occurred above the grandstand area, several VIPs could have been seriously hurt if the games had gone on and the roof collapsed 24 hours later. The incident, however, damaged a car and four motorcycles.

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Design flaw could be the cause

Police have cordoned off the stadium to keep out trespassers and to prevent any untoward incidents.

KUALA TERENGGANU (NST): An eleventh-hour decision to use a space frame design for the roof of the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium could have led to its collapse on Tuesday morning.

A source familiar with the RM292 million project said the space frame roof that came crashing down was never part of the stadium’s original design.

A decision was made at the last minute to cover the grandstand area with a space frame roofing to add a “curvy, grandeur and sophisticated” look to it.

The source said this, coupled with a looming deadline for the opening of the Malaysia Games, was a recipe for a disaster waiting to happen.

“It was done in a hurry and everyone in the engineering field knows that a space frame design is not an easy thing to build. Besides the difficulty involved, it is also a more expensive option,” the source said.
According to civil engineering terms, a space frame is constructed from interlocking struts in a geometrical pattern using steel tubes.

It draws its strength from the triangular frames that make up the truss-like rigid structure.

It is lightweight, capable of spanning large distances with few supports and can create curves to increase the visual impact.

State Public Works director Rosly Zainal said it was premature to pin the blame on the choice of structural design, although he did admit that the technology involved required careful planning and expertise.

Rosly said all this would be looked into very carefully when investigations on the incident began.

He said debris from the collapse would not be cleared until the investigations were completed adding that insurers and adjusters would also be doing their own investigations.

Rosly, however, denied that the contractors were pressured into rushing its completion for the games.

“It was on schedule, otherwise we wouldn’t have issued a temporary certificate of fitness,” he added.

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Terengganu check new buildings after stadium roof collapse

KUALA TERENGGANU (The Star) : Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said has ordered an immediate inspection of newly completed buildings following Tuesday’s roof collapse of the roof of the Gong Badak Stadium.

He said the checks would focus on detecting structural defects, cracks and shoddy workmanship. Some of the new buildings are the indoor stadium, Sultan Mahmud Airport and swimming complex.

He said he himself noticed defects on the roof of the year-old Sultan Mahmud Airport. He said the state would appoint independent consultants to carry out the checks.

On Tuesday, the roof of the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium in Gong Badak, which was completed in June last year, collapsed at 8am.

The incident came only one year after the stadium’s completion which cost RM300mil.

Authorities are investigating if the contractors had rushed to complete the stadium ahead of the Malaysia Games in June last year.

Meanwhile, Raja Datuk Kamarul Bahrin Shah of Senibahri Arkitek, the principal architect of the stadium, said he would comment on the collapsed roof in a few days time.

“I can’t say anything now as I do not have the full facts,” he said when contacted via SMS in Medinah where he is performing the umrah.

Raja Kamarul Baharin said he would return to the country on June 10.

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Struktur bumbung ranap dalam masa 10 saat

Stadium baru setahun diguna sudah runtuh – Struktur bumbung ranap dalam masa 10 saat

TINJAUAN udara menunjukkan runtuhan sebahagian daripada bumbung Stadium Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin di Kompleks Sukan Gong Badak, Kuala Terengganu semalam.

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KUALA TERENGGANU (Kosmo) – Pagi ini sepatutnya kira-kira 1,000 atlet dan pegawai sukan dijadualkan menyertai Kejohanan Sukan Staf Institusi Pengajian Awam Malaysia kali ke-34 di Stadium Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin di sini.

Bagaimanapun, mereka bernasib baik kerana 24 jam sebelum menyertai acara masing-masing pada kejohanan itu, bumbung stadium tempat mereka bakal beraksi ‘menyembah bumi’ semalam.

Kejadian yang berlaku kira-kira pukul 9.30 pagi itu telah menyebabkan 60 peratus daripada bumbung stadium yang dibina kontraktor dari Korea Selatan itu ranap sama sekali selepas struktur besinya dipercayai patah.

Insiden yang pertama kali berlaku di Malaysia itu sebenarnya meninggalkan banyak persoalan dan memalukan industri pembinaan di negara ini.

Selain ranap pada usianya baru setahun, kualiti Stadium Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin di Gong Badak yang dibina dengan kos kira-kira RM300 juta itu boleh dipersoalkan kerana bumbungnya ranap sama sekali.

Dalam kejadian itu, bahagian timur stadium itu terjejas apabila kesemua struktur bumbung berbentuk bulan sabit roboh sepenuhnya.

Kawasan yang terlibat itu menempatkan pintu masuk utama, pintu A, B dan B1 yang turut mengandungi tempat duduk awam serta bumbung tempat duduk tetamu diraja serta orang kenamaan.

Beberapa saksi memberitahu Kosmo!, bumbung stadium sepanjang 400 meter itu roboh dalam masa 10 saat sahaja menyebabkan gegaran kuat di sekitar stadium.

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Warnings were ignored, says engineer

The roof collapsed on the grandstand. — Picture courtesy of PWD

KUALA TERENGGANU (NST): It was a disaster waiting to happen, said engineer A. Mohamed.

Mohamed, who works in a private firm said he often jogged in the area and had noticed that the space frame which held the roof was getting bent out of shape.

“It could be seen from far away. I feared it would give way eventually and the roof would collapse. Today, it did.”

Mohamed claimed he had tried to warn government agencies and the media by sending pictures of the defects but was ignored.

Electrician Hanafiah Osman, 27, whose car was damaged in the incident said he was working on a lamp post outside the stadium when he heard a loud noise.
“I turned around and saw the roof collapsing.

“I rushed to my car but it was already crushed,” he said.

Stadium Management Board chief executive officer Arpin Draman said fortunately no event was held at the stadium as the roof collapsed on the grandstand.

“At the time of the incident, only a handful of stadium employees were in the vicinity and none of them were hurt.”

Arpin said he had never doubted the stadium’s structure as its safety had been assured by the Public Works Department.

“We have a bowling alley and squash courts in the stadium and it was fortunate the roof fell before they opened at 10am.”

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Stadium roof collapse: It could have been worse…

KUALA TERENGGANU (NST): If the roof of the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium had collapsed today instead of yesterday, thousands of lives may have been lost.

The collapsed roof damaged several vehicles in the car park. — NST picture by Rozainah Zakaria

For the stadium was scheduled to host the Public Institutions of Higher Learning games which would have seen thousands of competitors and spectators packed in the year-old sports arena.

Although no lives were lost, the collapsed roof has left numerous red faces in the state.

Calling it an embarrassment that had tarnished the country’s image, Works Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor lashed out at contractors for not building a proper structure.

Shaziman said the ministry would investigate the cause of the collapse and an in-house consultant would evaluate the damage.
A car and three motorcycles parked outside the stadium were damaged when about 80 metres of the roof collapsed about 9.30am.

Most of the debris crashed onto the grandstand of the RM292 million ringgit stadium.

“People will say that in Malaysia, not only newly constructed buildings collapse, but even ones earmarked for demolition,” he said, referring to the collapse of the Jaya Shopping Centre in Petaling Jaya, Selangor on Thursday, which killed seven Indonesian workers and injured two others.

“There should be no compromise when it comes to selecting the best experts for such jobs.”

Shaziman was speaking after visiting the site yesterday afternoon. Also present were Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said, state secretary Datuk Mokhtar Nong and several state executive council members.

On opposition politicians’ statements that they would lodge a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on the matter, Shaziman said there was nothing to hide and the ministry would cooperate with the MACC.

Said said the stadium was issued a temporary certificate of fitness by the Public Works Department just before the Malaysian Games last May, although none was required for a government building.

He also estimated damage at RM25 million, adding that a Korean contractor was appointed to construct the roofing structure.

“We don’t have the details of why and how it happened but we will wait until the investigations are over,” he said, adding that the stadium would be closed until repairs were completed.

He also said the stadium was still under the main contractors’, Bina Struktur Sdn Bhd, Emarcon Sdn Bhd and Genggam Mercu, two-year warranty.

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