Media Releases
Media Statement: Final Update on Fallen ACMV Dropper Duct at Shaw Cinema at NEX
7 December 2020
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Monday, 7 December 2020
Following the incident where an Air-Conditioning & Mechanical Ventilation (ACMV) duct detached from the ceiling of a cinema hall in the NEX shopping mall, BCA instructed the building owner to appoint a Professional Engineer (PE) to carry out a detailed investigation of the incident, and to recommend rectification measures to be taken. The PE appointed by NEX has completed a detailed investigation of the incident and proposed the necessary rectification works.
The findings indicate that:
• a significant amount of water had accumulated in the layer of acoustic material surrounding the ACMV dropper duct, due to unforeseen excessive condensation
• over a sustained period, the weight of the accumulated water and the ACMV dropper duct had overloaded the brackets that were supporting the ACMV dropper duct, causing the brackets to give way
BCA has reviewed the PE’s investigation report and also completed our own investigation with similar findings.
In the interests of public safety, the owners of other cinemas in Singapore have been instructed to conduct checks on their ACMV systems and ducts. Based on the checks in other cinemas, including BCA’s independent checks, no such excessive condensation and similar dropper ducts were observed.
BCA will be issuing an advisory to the building owners and industry on the importance of regular maintenance and to share good practices for design and installation of ACMV systems.