Over the past three days, it has become a local landmark. balcony hotel on it Syngrove Ave. which has been detached and hanging, ready to collapse. Ministry of Tourism Yesterday we decided to temporarily suspend the work of the hotel, and the balcony will be removed in the coming days. As experts note about what happened, in most cases it is not the weight that we put on our balconies that is to blame, but the wear and tear that “goes unnoticed”.

A private balcony is located in the hotel on Syngrou Avenue, at the height of Nea Smyrni. According to the hotel manager, the building was built in the 80s and had no static issues. “We are waiting for the engineers to explain to us exactly what happened, as there was no indication that there was a problem,” he says. It is noteworthy, however, that the balcony was not removed until yesterday, when the town planning department carried out an inspection. However, as a precaution, the area under the balcony has been cordoned off, and yesterday the Ministry of Tourism performed an autopsy and ordered the hotel to be temporarily closed.

The phenomenon is not rare. At least 2-3 times a year, a case of a balcony collapse comes to the attention of the public, fortunately, most often without casualties. For example, in February last year, the balcony of an apartment building collapsed in Heraklion, Crete, and a few months earlier, in an apartment building in Chalandri.

It’s not the fault of… pots

In most cases of collapse, the cause is not the weight of the balcony, but small cracks that allow moisture to corrode the reinforcement.

“Our balconies are designed to “lift” a weight of 500 kg per square meter. This rule has been in place since 1945,” explains Christos Zeris, director of the Concrete Laboratory and Construction Division of the NTUA Building Department. “This load does not include the weight of the balcony covering, i.e. marble, mosaic or tile.” In most cases, the problem does not arise due to the load on the balcony, i.e. in pots. “If there is a structural problem on the balcony, it will be visible immediately, during the first decade of the building’s erection. If several years have passed, then usually we are talking about durability, which is reduced due to corrosion. The balconies are supported by so-called “braids” which are “attached” to the floor slab. Since the reinforcement is located at the top of the balcony deck, if the concrete cracks, water begins to seep in and the balcony reinforcement gradually oxidizes. Over the years, this will reduce its strength, and in some cases lead to its destruction.

Signs”

As Mr. Zeris points out, there are certain signs that point to a problem. “If the balcony begins to warp from weight, this is definitely a bad sign, as well as if the balcony begins to “shake” easily. Also a clear sign that the balcony is deformed is that water begins to collect elsewhere, for example, in a sump. front. In most cases, the tile will “warn” us, as it will begin to peel off. However, when we have a mosaic, it is difficult for the untrained eye to detect cracks. So it’s good to make sure our balcony floor is waterproof and repair any damage.”

On Crete

Mr. Zeris was called several years ago as an expert in the case of the collapse of the balcony of a house in Crete, which claimed the life of a girl. “They had a party at home, they danced on the balcony. When you jump rhythmically, your weight doubles because the load is dynamic. In this particular case, the balcony was poorly secured and also corroded. Therefore, he could not withstand the pressure and retreated.