Report points to a series of errors in the viaduct that collapsed.
Gross technical errors and lack of oversight by the companies and the Belo Horizonte city hall, headed by Márcio Lacerda, of the PSB party, were the causes of the collapse of the Guararapes Viaduct, killing two people and injuring 23 others on July 3rd in BH; according to an official report from the Civil Police, released this Monday, the 15th, by Jornal Nacional, there was an error in the calculation of the steel reinforcement in one of the pillars and in the prestressing, the installation of internal cables in the concrete; experts also detected 42 holes in the viaduct's structure for the passage of material, which were not foreseen in the project; the removal of the supports was also done without observing the necessary precautions; the Public Prosecutor's Office scheduled a meeting between the companies responsible for the work and the City Hall for this Tuesday (16);
Minas 247 - The collapse of part of the Guararapes Viaduct, which killed two people and injured 23 on July 3rd in Belo Horizonte, was caused by a series of technical errors in its construction. This is according to the official report from the Civil Police on the viaduct's collapse, released by Jornal Nacional this Monday, the 15th.
Police experts found that there was an error in the calculation of the reinforcement bars in the foundation block of one of the pillars, in the project carried out by the company Consol. Numbers corresponding to the load-bearing capacity were transcribed incorrectly and were not reviewed by Consol itself, nor by Cowan, which executed the work, nor by the Superintendency for the Development of the Capital (Sudecap), which belongs to the City Hall and was responsible for the inspection.
The official report also points out that there was an error in the prestressing, which is the installation of internal cables in the concrete. They were not covered with cement grout, as they should have been. The experts also detected that 42 holes were opened in the viaduct's structure for the passage of material, which were not foreseen in the project and weakened the construction. With all these problems, there was an overload on the pillar, which gave way, and the viaduct ramp collapsed when the supports were removed.
Another failure occurred, according to the document, during the removal of the viaduct's supports. "When removing the supports, there were indications that they were being subjected to excessive pressure," highlights the president of the Brazilian Institute of Engineering Appraisals and Expertise, Frederico Correia Lima.
The Public Prosecutor's Office has scheduled a meeting between the companies responsible for the work and the City Hall for this Tuesday (16). The Public Prosecutor's Office of Minas Gerais is also conducting a survey of the losses to public coffers.
"One can respond amicably, that is, by reaching an agreement with the Public Prosecutor's Office, committing to rebuilding or even returning the money. However, if there is no spirit of conciliation, they will be subject to a judicial process," explains prosecutor Eduardo Nepomuceno.
The police received authorization to extend the criminal investigation for three months and have not yet indicted anyone as responsible for the fall.
Consol, the company responsible for the Guararapes project, admitted that there was a transcription error in the calculations for the design at a single point, but that this error would not have been sufficient to cause the viaduct to collapse. The company also claims that the work was not executed according to the project plans.
The construction company Cowan claimed that it did not have access to the report and that, for now, it will not comment on the conclusions. The City Hall informed that it will only comment after the conclusion of the investigation.
The north ramp of the viaduct, which was still standing, was imploded this Sunday, the 14th, by the construction company Cowan.