Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations publishes calculation rules for assessing wide slab floors

This proved critical in the case of the collapsed parking garage in Eindhoven in 2017. Although there are no indications of directly unsafe situations, the calculation rules mean that more buildings require inspections to ensure that the building meets the requirements of the Building Code.

The calculation rules are based on an analysis of conducted experimental research and other available test results from foreign scientific literature. The calculation rules and roadmap replace the information document for the assessment of buildings with wide slab floors published by the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in 2017.

Buildings that were previously assessed as high risk based on this 2017 information document can now be finally assessed. All municipalities have been asked to ensure that affected building owners have this done promptly.

More buildings with wide slab floors require assessment to ensure they meet the level of safety required by the Building Code. There is no evidence of immediately unsafe situations. The Building Code assumes certain safety margins, and no other buildings with wide slab floors have so far been found to have localized collapse or major structural problems.

In order to speed up the assessment of these buildings, an investigation obligation for building owners will be elaborated in the Building Decree Regulation. This will be done in coordination with the Netherlands Building and Housing Inspectorate Association.

Given the task, the duty to investigate is being phased in. Initially, it concerns buildings taller than 70 meters and buildings with reduced self-reliant persons. These buildings will have to be assessed by Jan. 1, 2021. Other buildings will follow.

Eventually, all buildings with wide slab floors will have to comply with the Building Code.

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