There were approximately 43,411 tiles falling from the interiors of the two economic housing buildings, Edifício do Lago and Ip Heng Building in Seac Pai Van, according to a survey conducted by the União Geral das Associações dos Moradores de Macau (UGAMM).
The researcher from UGAMM stated that the total number of fallen tiles at Edifício do Lago is estimated at 8,003. Block 3 was found with 392 collapsed tiles, the least amount among all six blocks inside the estate. The greatest number of fallen tiles reported was 2,050 at Block 6.
The number of fallen tiles per block of the Ip Heng Building ranged from 1,059 to 5,685, with a total tally of 35,408.
“Those fallen tiles counted in the survey include the ones that fell on their own and the other slabs considered at risk of tumbling off the walls, which were taken off by the management company,” Jiang Xuchun, a representative of the UGAMM, said in an earlier media briefing.
The survey results revealed that all buildings of the two economic housing buildings, except for Block 6 in Edifício Ip Heng which was used for show, reported cases of fallen tiles.
There were 139 floors in total in both buildings, each with over 100 shattered and collapsed tiles.
UGAMM stressed even if the property owners of these two buildings sought to file a lawsuit as a means of tackling the issue, they would be intimated by the complicated and lengthy litigation procedures.
Some owners already expressed worries that they may not be able to afford the renovation fees incurred as a result of the construction issues, while several residents of Edifício Ip Heng were concerned that the falling tiles posed a physical danger to them.
The association urges the government to commence negotiations with the project builder to extend the warranty period for the two buildings or help property owners access renovation solutions which may include seeking technical advice on tile repair.
UGAMM also recommends the authorities add a new regulation into the Urban Construction Legal Regime to mandate the builders to address the constructional faults within the warranty period.
The Housing Bureau (IH) is said to be planning to convene a meeting for all property owners of the two buildings to discuss the problem.
In the survey, UGAMM also probed into social housing Edifício Iat Seng in Taipa, which was reported to have cracked floor tiles and malfunctioning fire-resistance doors that were damaged by a previous typhoon. It was told that the IH is now addressing the matter.
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