People have been noticing significant “cracks” on the ceiling of the SRP tunnel. It started with a facebook post with picture showing the “cracks” and a stern warning suggestion to avoid the tunnel until authorities could look into it. Now there is a problem with that suggestion – it can cause a huge traffic problem. The tunnel was primarily built to divert a huge portion of the traffic – those going or coming from the south can pass through directly to the SRP without having to go through the traffic lights and intersections in the Plaza Independencia area.
The said “cracks” appear to be just patching tracks of the previous repairs done years ago on the observed hairline cracks. Most hairline cracks on concrete surfaces are usually just cracks on the finishing or patching which is mostly normal when you patch a concrete surface as a form of smoothening or finishing. If your smoothening material is also concrete or a skim coat mixture, it usually develops cracks over time. Some cement brands now –have been developing pozzolan cement that doesn’t develop hairline cracks over time, when used as a patching or finishing material.
If those cracks were really serious – deep on the structural level, then we should see pieces of concrete falling to the ground or water seeping out.
Thanks to the ever-responsive Mayor Tomas Osmena – he immediately requested the DPWH to check on those said cracks and they declared that those are indeed patching tracks of the repairs on the hairline cracks years ago, and they have assured the public that those cracks are non-threatening as they are not on the structural level.
As for us here at TCCI, we highly recommend to the DPWH that when you make similar repairs, you should make it clean – make a good finishing so the patching will not show. If you do it right, you should be able to hide the patch tracks and not cause fear.
Tommy Osmeña: I have relayed to DPWH-7 the concern many people have been expressing regarding the cracks in the SRP tunnel, and they are sending a team to inspect it at this very moment. Their message: “Pertaining to the issue on cracks in the tunnel along the Cebu South Coastal Rd as raised in the Facebook by some netizens, pls be informed that a technical team of the DPWH Regl. Office 7 & the DPWH Cebu City District Engg. Office including DPWH 7 Regl. Director Edgar Tabacon are currently verifying/assessing the actual situation to validate such findings & address accordingly, if the need arises, the issue at hand. Initially the tunnel were noted to have a very very fine cracks some years ago. These were assessed to be not serious, nevertheless, these were repaired/sealed during that time. These traces of repair oftentimes were mistakenly to be misinterpreted as cracks. Rest assured we will come-up with our findings (& recommendations-if needed) after the inspection done by our team who are at the site right now.” Update: No problem daw. According to the inspecting engineers, the cracks are not structural and the tunnel is safe to use.
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