Mascot Towers cracks get bigger, with structural failure now feared

Things are going from bad to worse for the 132 owners in the defective Mascot Towers complex in Sydney.

Residents were evacuated in June after cracking in its beams forced them out.

Now there are more cracks appearing, and the already noted cracks are getting wider.

Urgent repairs are now required to avoid a structural failure.

Owners and residents were updated by a structural engineer commissioned by law firm Mills Oakley yesterday. 

They raised a significant concern toward  an increased cracking in the basement footing slab which supports the towers.

“(We) have been advised that remediation of the bearing capacity of the soil underneath the slab is now required on an urgent basis so as to avoid a structural failure in the north eastern tower one corner,” the advice reads.

Cracks currently range between 0.2 and 0.5 millimetres.

“It is our current view that once the cracking reaches 0.8mm the structure would be deemed unsafe,” the structural engineer warned.

Sky News advised residents are not expected to return this year. 

Earlier in the year it was suggested the neighbouring Peak Towers apartment block, developed by Aland, had affected Mascot Towers, a sentiment which engineering consultants agreed with.

Aland rubbished the claims in June and reportedly denied lawyers representing the Mascot owners corporation entry to the building.

Residents told how the basement carpark was flooded during the Peak Towers excavation.

The Mascot Tower was developed by the Elias family to a design by architect Krikis Tayler.

In the 2006 off the plan marketing prices started at $340,000 for a 72 sqm one-bed unit, from $450,000 for a 97sqm two-bed unit with two car spaces, and from $800,000 for 139sqm and three beds, also with two car spaces.