Does spalling repair need BCA approval?
Simple patch repairs to a ceiling are usually treated as maintenance. BCA's PSI guidelines state, however, that major repairs and strengthening works are treated as building works, so plan approval or permit procedures apply. Where repairs identified under a façade inspection involve structural elements, BCA's PFI guidelines require structural plan approval and a permit where applicable, and supervision by a professional engineer. When in doubt, ask a Professional Engineer.
From the RRD Field Guide, checked against the sources cited in Concrete Spalling in Singapore: Causes, Risks, Repair Methods and Who Must Fix It. General information, not advice for your project.
The fuller picture
Spalling concrete is concrete cover cracking and breaking away because the steel reinforcement inside has corroded, usually after carbonation or chlorides destroy the steel's natural protection. Small patches can be repaired by removing loose concrete, cleaning and priming the steel and patching with polymer-modified mortar. Extensive spalling, beams, columns or cantilevers need a Professional Engineer. Owners repair inside HDB flats; MCSTs repair common property.
More questions on this topic
- What is spalling concrete?
- Is spalling concrete dangerous?
- Can I repair spalling concrete myself?
- Who pays to repair spalling concrete in an HDB flat?
- Who pays to repair spalling concrete in a condominium?
- Why does spalling come back after repair?
- How is spalling linked to the Periodic Structural Inspection?