CEBU, Philippines - Despite issues encountered by the developer last year, Taft Property Venture Development Corp. finally completed the mat foundation at the site of the first of the two towers of its Horizons 101 project over the weekend, claimed to be the largest concrete pouring for a single building in Cebu.
With DDT Konstract, Inc. (DDTKI) as its partner-contractor, the Taft Property conducted the monolithic or the non-stop pouring of the final mass for more than 30 hours that started from 9 PM on March 1 to 5:20 AM on March 3.
Horizons 101, situated along General Maxilom Avenue, is believed to be the tallest residential project soon to rise in Cebu City.
It consists of two buildings. The first tower that will have 56 floors and 900 units is already 85-percent sold while Tower 2, with 46 floors and 700 units, is now being sold with a take-up for 35 percent.
Joseph Mendoza, head of the technical and construction group of Taft Property, said that more than 500 truckloads of concrete or no less than 5 300 cubic meters were discharged into the base of the planned tallest structure in the city.
He pointed out that the total amount of concrete poured from the start of the foundation including the monolithic pouring over the weekend is equivalent to three kilometers of a standard six-meter wide road or poured into 50 basketball courts.
He is also bullish that it will take some time before the record of Horizons 101 will be surpassed.
“The Taft project will confidently be the tallest edifice in Cebu for at least 5 to even 10 years,†he added.
Mendoza further noted that the company is on track in targeting the project’s completion by 2015.
Also, DDTKI held the record of supervising the last single biggest mat foundation for a building that is recently built at Cebu Business Park.
In April 2012, the developer experienced a three month-delay of the project due to the unexpected collapse of the retaining all at the site during the excavation site.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama ordered the suspension of the construction work through a cease-and-desist order issued by the Office of the Building Official (OBO) which was then lifted early of July.
It was also last year that former City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM) chairman Sylvan “Jack†Jakosalem asked for a comprehensive traffic plan on Horizons Tower 2 before the developer would be given the locational clearance and building permit from OBO.
Jakosalem expressed concern about the worsening traffic at General Maxilom Avenue due to high-rise projects in the area and other uptown areas.
The Taft Property, on their part, hired a local transport and traffic consultancy firm to conduct a traffic impact study.
To ease the traffic and attend to the uncontrolled pedestrian movements, the developer also recommended the construction of a skywalk fronting their ongoing project. (FREEMAN)