More cracks discovered at Opal Tower as residents' wait continues
More cracks have been found in western Sydney's Opal Tower after a team of engineers inspecting the residential building discovered damage on a lower level.
On Friday, residents of the building were evacuated for the second time to allow experts to identify the cause of the cracking which forced the original evacuation on Christmas Eve.
After diagnosing a cracked pre-cast concrete panel on level 10, investigators have been scouring more than 200 similar panels in vertical gardens around the building looking for similar damage.
In an email to residents on Monday night, structural engineering company WSP announced they had found further damage in two areas on level four.
They described the newly discovered damage as less serious than the original cracking, reassuring residents the building is "structurally sound overall".
The main cracking on level 10 occurred around at a "connection between prefabricated and in situ poured concrete", according to the engineers, who inspected up to 20 areas of potential damage.
"Two of these areas, both on level four, show evidence of some, but lesser, damage."
On Monday, extra bracing was installed as a "precautionary measure" to prop up those damaged areas, but the major work to fix damage on level 10 remains ongoing.
While the building has structurally been given a clean bill of health, residents remain in the dark about when they can return home.
With its work complete, WSP said it supports "a progressive reoccupation of the majority of units in Opal Tower", subject to residents being kept separated from equipment.
But it said units in the vicinity of repairs would not be allowed back until repairs were completed.
WSP chief executive Guy Templeton told the Herald the scope of work his engineers were asked to do was complete.
But Mr Templeton said he did not know when residents could move back in.
"It's not up to us to make that call," he said.
A spokeswoman for building company Icon could not provide a timeframe for when residents could return.
The spokeswoman also said surveyors had been monitoring the building since Christmas Eve using 24-hour surveillance and had detected "no movement".
"Whatever caused this issue to happen on December 24, there's nothing further that’s occurring on the days since. That’s an indication the building is structurally sound. It’s not going to fall over."
On Sunday, the state government announced a crackdown on private certifiers, including audits and a name and shame register.
Asked whether he was confident the investigation would clear WSP's name, Mr Templeton declined to comment.
"We can't pre-judge any investigation," he said.