«This is a consequence of sometimes flaws in the design, and sometimes poor quality of work»
The abyss of heaven that opened up on July 26 was, of course, a record — no doubt. Therefore, the flooding of the streets was expected. But natural waterfalls in the buildings of shopping centers and residential complexes have become an unpleasant surprise for the townspeople. I would like to cry out after the hero of the film «Magicians»: who builds like that ?! Why dozens of new and not too old buildings leaked from the downpour and is it possible to correct the situation — MK found out.
Pictures in social networks — a bit from horror films or cartoons about the Flood. Then in the atrium of the shopping center, water rushes down from the middle tiers (by the way, it’s beautiful!). Sometimes utility workers try to close the door with a crowbar, because of which water is gushing, but the door still breaks off its hinges, and the underground parking (thank God, without cars) is instantly flooded with muddy streams.
Why this happens, do not look for explanations on the Internet: in addition to sad jokes on the topic «pool — to every house and platitudes that the quality of construction today is not what it was today, ordinary users of social networks cannot say anything. Still, it is interesting: who is to blame, and what to do.
— The first thing to say is that it really shouldn't be like this, — says «MK» acting chief project engineer of one of the major developers. — But the specific causes of flooding can be divided into two groups: this is a consequence of design flaws, and sometimes — poor quality of work.
In terms of watertightness, the building, according to the engineer, begins with the roof: the roofs that we usually call flat, in fact, have a slight slope, as well as internal drainage systems. All these design slopes and cross-sections must be calculated from average precipitation data in millimeters per square meter. And here, unlike the much more expensive city stormwater system, during construction it is not only possible, but it is directly necessary to consider «with a margin.»
— What happens if you miscalculate? — explains the interlocutor of "MK". — Water accumulates on the roof, like in a pool, and breaks somewhere. Sometimes in windows, sometimes in ventilation, sometimes in some narrow places of waterproofing. And if a significant amount of water breaks through in some place, a water hammer occurs, for which standard waterproofing is not designed. And the flood is ready.
According to the engineer, another factor that can cause flooding is an incorrectly formed terrain. It is because of this that water flows from the street can rush not into the sewer, but into the doors of residential or public buildings. “Open ground, if we are not talking about clay, especially with plants, absorbs water, but the paved surfaces — no, the water flows downhill, — noted the expert. — The slope can be natural or specially formed — this is called vertical layout. It must be done not only for the sake of a barrier-free environment for people with wheelchairs, but also for drainage. Slopes should ensure the movement of water into the storm drain or into the river, at worst.
Thus, the current showers were a good stress test for new buildings. After which it would be nice to work on the bugs: somewhere to increase the slopes, somewhere to expand the drains (if this is, of course, possible), — and certainly equip the drainage systems of the plots so that water does not rush into the doors of houses with a modern barrier-free ground floor system. The only question is at whose expense this can be done.
— The easiest way is if the building was built quite recently, — argues lawyer Olga Lazareva. — According to federal laws, the developer's guarantee is valid for five years, for engineering communications for three years. And if the developer is large, then there are high chances that it will be possible to force him to bring the house in line with the project under the guarantee.
To do this, it is necessary to identify whether there was a deviation from the project documentation during construction and whether the project itself complies with the norms and rules for this region, the lawyer notes. But such a situation is also quite possible that either no defects will be found, or the developer at the time of the complaint has already changed the legal entity and, therefore, does not exist for its previous objects. In this case, it is quite possible that the management company will have to finalize the residential building at the expense of the apartment owners.
— It may be necessary to alter the roof, install additional drains, redevelop the site, additional waterproofing of surfaces, — assumes the chief engineer of the project. — This is bad news, but the good news is that these costs are spread over several hundred apartments and each owner will not have so much to share.
But the damage to each specific apartment if the ceiling leaked or streams gushed from the ventilation , will be reimbursed in the usual ways: by insurance or, if the apartment was not insured, through the court or pre-trial claims against the management company. Unless, of course, what we are observing is not the beginning of the real global flood — then what kind of insurance is there!