Cracks are showing in the uber-modern concrete seats installed along Wollongong’s Crown St Mall, less than two years after they were christened as part of the strip’s $20.5 million upgrade.
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The cracking is occurring in the same place on many seats, leading to queries on whether the flash design came at the expense of strength.
The cantilevered design means only one end of the heavy concrete seat is supported from below, with the rest of the blocky apparatus hanging without being braced.
The “street furniture” has been in use since the refurbishment was completed in late 2014.
The cracks have been growing and raise questions about whether the seats will last much longer.
But Wollongong City Council said they are safe, as the cracks were not a structural problem for now.
“Council is aware of the cracking in the concrete cantilever section of the reinforced concrete seats and has been monitoring the crack width since the cracking was observed,” a spokeswoman said. “The cracks have been inspected by the structural design engineer and were determined to be narrow enough not to be a structural issue.
“In general, the cracks are narrow enough to only be an aesthetic concern and have become more visible due to the dust/dirt being caught in the crack.
“We have notified the contractor of our concerns and council will continue to monitor.”
The seats were detailed and supplied by a Sydney design company called Hub Street Equipment as part of the mall refurbishment, which was designed by the NSW Government Architect and delivered by contractor Lahey Constructions.
Council said the cantilever effect was chosen for its visual appeal but it was checked off by an engineer.
“The design of the seats was selected by NSW Government Architect’s Office to achieve a balance between durable and robust concrete construction and the visual effect of the cantilever seating arrangement,” the spokeswoman said.
“The structural design of the seat was reviewed by an engineering consultant who authorised the structural design as safe for use.”
It has not been all plain sailing for the mall project, which was called cold and sterile by some, owing to its grey paved style. Others said the simple design meant the space was more flexible.
It was clearly popular with some architects, as the Crown St project won the Lloyd Rees award for urban design at the NSW Architecture Awards last year.
The mall refurbishment was paid for with public money – a combination of council, NSW and Commonwealth government funding.