Why Chintels Paradiso's Tower H is deemed unsafe by IIT-Delhi

Why Chintels Paradiso’s Tower H is deemed unsafe by IIT-Delhi

GURUGRAM: Extensive corrosion due to chloride in steel reinforcements and poor quality of concrete
are the reasons why tower H of Chintels Paradiso can’t be renovated and is unsafe for living, IIT-Delhi
experts concluded in their structural audit report.
Tower H was the fifth and the latest building to be declared unsafe at the society, where a vertical cave-in
at tower D killed two women in February 2022. The same reason – excessive chloride – was also found in
the other four towers (D, E, F and G) of the Sector 109 apartment complex declared unsafe by the same
expert team earlier.
Professors S Bishnoi, DR Sahoo and V Matsagar of the civil engineering department at IIT-Delhi had
submitted their audit report to the Gurgaon district town planner’s office last week. The report said they
measured “high chloride content in most of the concrete used in the structure”.

“Also, it can be seen that the corrosion is active throughout a large part of the structure and the rate of
corrosion is high,” it said.
The audit indicates that there was chloride infiltration in the concrete at the time of construction.
“Due to the widespread presence of chlorides in the structure and the lack of chlorides in the air to which
the buildings are exposed, it can be deduced that the chlorides were present in the concrete at the time of
its production. Although the source of these chlorides is difficult to ascertain, water and sand are the most
common source of chlorides in concrete,” the report said.

The experts also noted that the need for frequent repairs, as was told to them by the residents of the tower,
appears to have been caused by chloride corrosion of the steel reinforcements.
“A poor quality of concrete also played a role in rapid deterioration. Given the high chloride content in the
concrete almost throughout the structure, a repair of these structures for safe usage is not technically and
economically feasible. In the current condition, due to the rapid corrosion of reinforcement due to the
presence of chlorides, the structure is not safe for habitation,” the report read.
In June, TOI had reported that IIT-Delhi experts, in another audit carried out at Godrej Summit society,
have cautioned about the presence of chloride in water in the area along the Dwarka Expressway. The
presence of chlorides could have a detrimental effect on concrete buildings in the area, they had said.
Apart from D, E, F, G and H towers, tower A is showing signs of deterioration and needs to be audited
annually. Towers B and C at Chintels Paradiso are safe for habitation for now, and the audit report of
tower J is pending.
The society’s developer has separately brought in the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) to
conduct another structural audit of the towers. Chintels India had earlier said it was waiting for the CBRI
report on the towers declared unsafe by the IIT-Delhi team.
Similar to the other affected towers, a Chintels India spokesperson said on Tuesday it will also give
homebuyers of tower H the option of compensation by paying them Rs 6,500/sqft and refunding the
stamp duty along with the cost of interiors renovated in the flats.