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Summary #2


In the article “Hotel New World Collapse”, Lim (2009) discuss the events leading up to the collapse of Hotel New World, which was caused by a series of engineering faults and poor building management. Hotel New World was a multi-story building that was constructed in 1971 and was located at Owen Road. According to Lim, the collapse of Hotel New World in 1986 was so devastating that it did not leave any walls and columns standing. After the collapse, rescue teams consisting of both local and foreign specialists were dispatched. Lim states that former president Wee Kim Wee arranged “a commission of inquiry” to inspect the source of the collapse on 22 March 1986. Lim states that according to the investigation report, the primary reason for the collapse “was due to inadequate structural design of the building”. The additional installation on the roof also contributed and accelerated the collapse. The investigation report also mentioned that visible “cracks in the column, wall, and floor” were observed before the collapse. Further investigation showed that the team behind the construction consisted of unqualified personnel. Overall, the tragedy of the Hotel New World could have been prevented if there were proper construction guidelines to follow and management of the building was carried out regularly. From the article, I can conclude that adequate structural design and systematic management procedures are important aspects of a building as they determine the structural integrity and longevity of it.

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