Structural imbalance in lift shaft may have contributed to the collapse of Bangkok’s State Audit Office (SAO) building
A structural imbalance in a lift shaft may have contributed to the collapse of the State Audit Office (SAO) building during last month’s earthquake, says Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
Mr Anutin, who doubles as deputy prime minister, said initial findings point to structural issues contributing to the collapse, particularly those surrounding an asymmetrical lift shaft, as previously theorised by engineering expert Worasak Kanok-Nukulchai.
The minister emphasised the need to focus on in-depth engineering calculations to ensure the findings are indisputable and scientifically sound.
He said that as the shaft’s structure was not symmetrically balanced, it may have been vulnerable to torsion during seismic events.
Mr Anutin added that investigators are assessing whether the building was properly designed to withstand torsional forces. The Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning is in charge of the technical investigation.
Any findings related to corruption or bid-rigging will be reviewed by the SAO, he said.
He said an investigation into possible design flaws will be launched before any accusation of misconduct or ethical violation can be levelled against the authorities.
The minister also addressed reports the project’s contractors had allegedly forged signatures of a senior engineer who claimed to have no involvement in the project.
He said as an engineer himself, he was deeply concerned over such an allegation. He stressed that if signature forgery is confirmed, legal action will be taken.
Meanwhile, Pol Maj Woranan Srilam, deputy head of the team investigating the business nominee case involving China Railway No.10 (Thailand), one of the project’s contractors, has highlighted contract issues related to structural design, construction supervision and design modifications.
The contracts, he said, involve two companies, Forum Architect and Meinhardt (Thailand), and investigators are looking to see whether the design modifications had been properly approved before they were carried out.
He added that the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is treating this case as a special case under the Foreign Business Act and the Act Concerning Offences Relating to the Submission of Bids to Government Agencies.
The DSI is also probing multiple individuals, including Pimol Yingcharoen, an 85-year-old engineer allegedly listed as the original project designer of the SAO building, and Somkiat Chusangsuk, the senior engineer whose signatures had allegedly been forged to approve the building’s design modifications.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3005452/lift-flaw-tied-to-state-audit-office-building-fate
