Accra International Conference Centre a ticking time bomb – Engineer

The Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), has become a ticking time bomb due to structural defects.

The defects are posing a serious threat to the edifice that hosts major national and international events.

Currently, most of the columns that support that huge edifice have the concrete that covers the iron rods peeling off.

The development has compromised the structural integrity of the building commissioned in 1991.

During a tour by members of the Foreign Affairs Committee to some installations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs it came to light many huge columns have their iron rods affected by corrosion, a problem blamed on lack of maintenance and weather elements.

A Structural Engineer with the Ghana Institute of Engineering, Mr. Mark Addo, most of the columns that are affected have “30 percent of the concrete peeled off.”

He warned any severe external pressure can bring the entire building down.

“If there’s a severe buckle, it can cause the building to collapse,” he said.

The committee also toured the new passport office which is under renovation following the decision to demolish the existing one to make way for construction of the National Cathedral.

The final port of call for the members was the Foreign Affairs Training Institute.