Sunday, May 13, 2012

THE Office of the Building Official (OBO) faced major challenges recently with the collapse of a retaining wall in a condominium building last month and the collapse of a subdivision riprap last Tuesday.

With the number of problems OBO is addressing, the lack of engineers or manpower continues to haunt the office, but maybe not for long.

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It was only recently that OBO officer-in-charge Josefa Ylanan learned that the Cebu City Council passed an ordinance that would make the office a separate department.

Currently, it is a division under the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW). This is why Ylanan was never conferred the position of a department head.

This, as some residents affected by the collapse of the wall of Horizon 101 are reported to have returned to their homes without OBOs permission.

They were told by the City Government to evacuate after the wall collapsed last month.

But when Sun.Star Superbalita visited the area yesterday, it saw some of the residents back in their homes.

Damaged

See original here:
Council makes OBO a department

Credit: Laura Hettiger

A fatal motorcycle accident shuts down several lanes of I-26 Friday night.

David and Jennifer Morrison tragically lost their lives when their Chopper motorcycle hit a retaining wall on Interstate 26, launching the married couple to the ground 30 feet below.

It is a double death that shakes Charleston's biking community.

"Something like this is an eyeopener and at least for the next few weeks, people will be paying more attention when on a bike," Marc Kimbell, sales manager at American Biker, said.

The Morrisons visited the Ladson motorcycle store six days before their accident. Kimbell said the Chopper-riding enthusiasts bought new motorcycle t-shirts and other bike accessories.

It was in 2004 when the husband and wife bought the same bike they lost their lives on, the 2004 Big Dog Chopper.

"They have had that bike for awhile and they are experienced riders," Kimbell said. "Sometimes it doesn't matter how much experience you have if the cars on the road aren't paying attention."

Some attorneys who represent motorcyclists agree with Kimbell.

"In my experience with motorcycle collisions, it never is the motorcycle driver doing something irresponsible or careless," attorney Mark Joye said."It's the car driver, but rarely does he get hurt.The motorcycle driver always gets seriously hurt."

More here:
Biker community remembers the Morrisons

St. Augustine police: Alcohol involved in pickup truck's crash into Castillo de San Marcos

A St. Augustine man is hospitalized in serious condition after slamming his pickup truck into a retaining wall of the Castillo de San Marcos this morning, police said.

Michael Harrison Bridges, 27, was driving west on East Castillo Drive about 2:40 a.m. when he veered off the roadway, struck a fence and a tree before heading through the parking lot. The vehicle then crashed through some shrubbery and went into the fort's Covered Way retaining wall, said Gordie Wilson, superintendent of the federal property.

Bridges was taken to Flagler Hospital and then flown to Orange Park Medical Center, one of two trauma centers in the region.

Officer Mark Samson of the St. Augustine Police Department said the crash report states that Bridges had been drinking. The investigation is continuing.

Samson said the truck was heavily damaged. Wilson said the crash took out small chunks of the wall and did other damage, but he had no cost estimate. He said the wall, standing just before the fort's moat, was likely built in the 1700s. The fort remains open.

Originally posted here:
St. Augustine police: Alcohol involved in pickup truck's crash into Castillo de San Marcos

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

THE collapse of the retaining wall of a subdivision in Barangay Talamban, Cebu City that resulted to the death of two people is an example of how blame-throwing cant be directed at one sector alone. One can consider the accident a confluence of inaction and glossing over of safety concerns by the people concerned.

The obvious target would be the developer of Casa del Rio subdivision, Commonwealth Estate Inc., as talks have swirled that the riprap that collapsed lacked metal reinforcement. Reports that cracks had surfaced on the structure do not speak well of the construction quality.

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This begs the question of whether officials of Barangay Talamban and the Office of the Building Official (OBO) had checked the construction site or not. Did reports of the cracks reach them and, if so, what were the steps taken to ensure the safety of nearby residents?

Consider that this is not the first collapse of a similar type of structure this year. Just last month, a portion of the retaining wall in the project site of Taft Property Venture Development Corp. in Sitio Sta. Teresita, Barangay Cogon-Ramos collapsed, threatening the safety of the surrounding houses.

These incidents have correctly invited concerns about the failure to strictly implement provisions of the National Building Code.

In the accident involving Commonwealth Estate, however, there is the added aspect of the houses that bore the brunt of the collapse of the retaining wall and soil being within what has been considered a dangerous zone. These were built below the riprap and on the riverbank.

Talamban Barangay Captain Jesus Remedio Jr. now claims that they had asked the residents to evacuate the area, but they obviously lacked the political will to force them to leave. This may have contributed to the failure to act on the threat of the ripraps collapse.

One resident noted that when they complained to barangay officials about the cracks in the riprap, they were instead threatened with the demolition of their houses.

Originally posted here:
Editorial: Inaction and lack of concern

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) -- A Dubuque man has been accused of injuring his dog by tossing it off an 11-foot-high retaining wall.

The Dubuque Telegraph Herald says 40-year-old Matthew Duve is charged with a misdemeanor.

Court records say a neighbor told police that Duve grabbed a female Weimaraner named Calli by the collar and threw her off the wall onto a sidewalk below. The neighbor reported hearing what sounded like the dog hitting the pavement three times.

A vet says the dog had lacerations on her tail and front legs and had some back stiffness.

Court records say Duve denied any abuse and said the dog "came home in its present condition."

A public phone listing for Duve could not be found. Online court records don't yet list the case.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

See the article here:
Dubuque man accused of tossing dog off wall

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I.The state Coastal Resources Management Council has reversed an earlier decision and is now allowing South Kingstown to build a retaining wall along Matunuck Beach Road to protect it from beach erosion.

The Providence Journal reports ( http://bit.ly/JROyut) the council voted 9-0 Tuesday night in favor of the wall, a month after rejecting the proposal on a 7-2 vote amid opposition from environmental groups.

Plans call for a sheet-metal wall running 200 feet along the ocean side of Matunuck Beach Road. Town officials say the wall is needed to protect the road and an underground water pipe serving nearly 1,700 customers.

Town Manager Stephen Alfred asked the council to reconsider its first vote. The council's executive director endorsed the request and said the road was in imminent danger from erosion.

Information from: The Providence Journal, http://www.providencejournal.com

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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RI council reverses course, allows Matunuck wall

By Jhunnex Napallacan Inquirer Visayas

CEBU CITYTwo persons were killed while five children were injured on Tuesday when a portion of the retaining wall of a subdivision project collapsed on four houses in Sitio Kadahuan, Barangay Talamban, this city.

Rescuers from the Cebu City fire department and Philippine Air Force found the body of Alan Oporto, 40, past 9 p.m. Tuesday and Nestor Tapdasan, past 7 a.m. on Wednesday.

The injured children were brought to the North General Hospital here for treatment.

The victims houses were among at least 60 built along a creek in the area outside Casa Del Rio, a subdivision project of the Commonwealth Estate Inc. (CEI).

Jonji Gonzales, CEI spokesperson, said hairline cracks were found on the retaining wall by an inspection team commissioned by the company after the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that shook Cebu and other areas in the Visayas on Feb. 6. The cracks were being repaired when the wall collapse occurred.

Gonzales said in a text message that CEI would shoulder all medical expenses of the victims.

The company would also provide financial assistance to the family of the two fatalities, he added.

We are extending our deepest sympathy to the family of the two fatalities. We are praying for the quick recovery of those in the hospital, Gonzales said in his text message.

Talamban Barangay Captain Jesus Remedio Jr. said the 80 families living below the subdivisions retaining wall and along the riverbank would be asked to relocate as their homes would have to be demolished.

Here is the original post:
Wall collapse kills 2, hurts 5 in Cebu City

The Massachusetts Land Court decision issued last month affirms what was established two years ago that Borden Light Marina Inc. built a 630-foot concrete retaining wall without permits while the marina president, Michael Lund, was a member of the City Council.

The finding of facts and decision by Associate Justice Judith Cutler in favor of The Landing at South Park Condominium Association said Borden Light did not obtain permits before doing the work.

Director of Inspectional Services Joseph Biszko supplied the building permit Borden Light obtained on April 29, 2010 months after the wall was built.

They had already put it up. They put it up without a permit, Biszko said.

He said the department issues a verbal warning for a first-time offense and doubles the permit fee for a second one.

Biszko issued the building permit to Robert Guay of Fall River, the structural engineer, based on an estimated $76,000 cost for the wall.

The permit fee was $702, and James Furtado Excavating of Swansea built the wall, according to city records.

There are also questions both in Cutlers court decision and in Guays engineering report about the walls safety.

Guay wrote on April 22, 2010, that a section of wall is higher than the existing design of the wall will allow, and there is no geo-fabric at each level. ... The wall in this section will have to be down and rebuilt per design drawings also submitted, according to inspection records.

There are no indications replacement work has taken place in the past two years.

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Judge says Borden Light Marina built wall without permits

Saturday, May 5, 2012

MAYOR Mauricio Domogan expressed concern over the unreleased funds for the Irisan Controlled Dump Facilitys retaining wall.

Funds that were promised by the National Government are needed badly to rehabilitate the damaged portion of the wall where the trash spilled over. The amount of P80 million will come from the Department of Public Works and Highways fund, Domogan said.

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The mayor said documentary requirements asked by the National Government have been complied, including the program of work for the rehabilitation of the retaining wall.

We really need to repair the wall immediately, hopefully funds will be released before the onset of the rainy season, Domogan said.

City Environment and Parks Management head Cordelia Lacsamana is now coordinating with the City Engineers Office for the possibility of re-profiling its present slope. (Paul Rillorta)

Published in the Sun.Star Baguio newspaper on May 05, 2012.

Here is the original post:
Mayor prays for release of funds for dumpsite

A portion of a stone retaining wall between a house at 66 Adams Ave. and 83 Hill St., caved in Thursday, leaving big hunks of debris in the driveway at the Hill Street residence.

The wall is on the Adams Avenue property. A neighbor said there was no question the wall would eventually collapse, the only question was when.

Im glad no one got hurt, commented Karen Booth, who has lived at 83 Hill St. for about 19 years.

Booth said young children were playing near the wall Wednesday night.

As you can see, more is going to come down anytime now, she added.

A portion of the wall gave away early Thursday afternoon. A worker who said he was employed by the landlord of the Adams Avenue property arrived shortly after the wall collapsed to do the clean up. That work was completed, and yellow caution tape was strung around the area.

Jeff Johnson, Hornell codes enforcement officer, said he spoke with landlord Dean Hoag Thursday to make sure the debris would be cleared away. Johnson also spoke with Booth. Johnson also said the landlord must find a permanent solution for the wall.

I am going to stay on it and see to it that it gets fixed, Johnson said.

The rest is here:
Portion of retaining wall collapses in Hornell, no one hurt