ᐅ Cutting open the concrete slab due to incorrectly installed drainage pipes
Created on: 5 Nov 2018 19:13
H
Heik0
Hello everyone,
I am new to this forum and have become quite frustrated today regarding our house construction. We are currently building a single-family bungalow with an architect and separate contracts for the trades. The foundation slab and masonry work are being done by the same company.
Today, the first outer row of bricks was laid on the foundation slab. It was then discovered that the three drain pipes from the guest bathroom (sink, toilet, shower) were all installed 70cm (28 inches) too far to the left. The drains from the toilet and sink are now located in the hallway, and the shower drain is directly in front of the bathroom door. The architect says this is not a major issue. For the sink and toilet drains, they plan to cut into the slab and reposition the pipes 70cm (28 inches) to the correct location within the slab. For the shower, there seems to be some other solution. The architect assures me this poses no structural problem. It should be noted that we do not have strip foundations, but a base layer of 25cm (10 inches) foam glass gravel, followed by a 25cm (10 inches) load-bearing slab made of waterproof concrete.
I am paying the architect for construction supervision (phase 8), and yet something like this happens—this shouldn’t be the case. He said that when he inspected the site, there was no formwork board at that location for the slab, so he couldn’t measure it then. Of course, he measured everything else beforehand.
What can and must I do now? Is this really harmless? What rights do I have, and what should I pay attention to in order not to make a procedural mistake? Should I file a defect notice? Document everything? Request a new structural analysis? Do I have to accept it as is? Why build a 25cm (10 inches) slab with reinforcement if it can be cut open and removed without issue in some places?
Best regards,
Heiko
I am new to this forum and have become quite frustrated today regarding our house construction. We are currently building a single-family bungalow with an architect and separate contracts for the trades. The foundation slab and masonry work are being done by the same company.
Today, the first outer row of bricks was laid on the foundation slab. It was then discovered that the three drain pipes from the guest bathroom (sink, toilet, shower) were all installed 70cm (28 inches) too far to the left. The drains from the toilet and sink are now located in the hallway, and the shower drain is directly in front of the bathroom door. The architect says this is not a major issue. For the sink and toilet drains, they plan to cut into the slab and reposition the pipes 70cm (28 inches) to the correct location within the slab. For the shower, there seems to be some other solution. The architect assures me this poses no structural problem. It should be noted that we do not have strip foundations, but a base layer of 25cm (10 inches) foam glass gravel, followed by a 25cm (10 inches) load-bearing slab made of waterproof concrete.
I am paying the architect for construction supervision (phase 8), and yet something like this happens—this shouldn’t be the case. He said that when he inspected the site, there was no formwork board at that location for the slab, so he couldn’t measure it then. Of course, he measured everything else beforehand.
What can and must I do now? Is this really harmless? What rights do I have, and what should I pay attention to in order not to make a procedural mistake? Should I file a defect notice? Document everything? Request a new structural analysis? Do I have to accept it as is? Why build a 25cm (10 inches) slab with reinforcement if it can be cut open and removed without issue in some places?
Best regards,
Heiko
Why engage in a legal dispute when the error and its source are obvious? It goes without saying that the structural calculations will need to be redone, and the client will certainly demand this. In any case, the planner is always required to provide a proof of structural soundness...
I could have accepted the excuse of the formwork board being off by up to twenty centimeters (8 inches), but with a deviation of seventy centimeters (28 inches), the guy clearly doesn’t recognize his own plans in reality. With such a lack of spatial awareness, you’re practically unfit to work as an architect.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
A 10cm (4 inch) wide gap in the floor probably has no structural relevance. Depending on the soil structure, a shallower depth might even be sufficient.
It’s obviously inconvenient when the architect is also your assessor. A second, independent opinion would definitely have been better.
What is absolutely unacceptable is raising the floor level. Under no circumstances in new construction! I might consider that for around 30,000€, but not for the small amount of money they might potentially save here. It would be better to install a new base slab, although this won’t be necessary in this case.
Misplaced pipes are quite common.
It’s obviously inconvenient when the architect is also your assessor. A second, independent opinion would definitely have been better.
What is absolutely unacceptable is raising the floor level. Under no circumstances in new construction! I might consider that for around 30,000€, but not for the small amount of money they might potentially save here. It would be better to install a new base slab, although this won’t be necessary in this case.
Misplaced pipes are quite common.
Similar topics