• It is particularly important to note that in the case of the 17 PPP1 projects, visual only inspections of the external walls of these schools, by experienced teams of qualified structural engineers, failed to identify any indications of the subsequently identified presence of significant deficiencies in the construction of the walls.
• While visual inspections are clearly the first part of any structural assessment of walls and can help identify any movement, bulging or alignment issues, they should not be relied upon as evidence that the walls are properly constructed and have the required structural capacity to resist strong winds.
• It is therefore recommended that quality assurance processes on site are such that they prevent the closure of walls before proper inspection and sign-off has been facilitated to confirm the quality and completeness of the work.