- Water damage delays further earth house
Million-dollar Water Damage Delays "House of Earth" Handover to Hamburg's Top Research
Significant water damage has caused further delays in the handover of the "House of Earth" to Hamburg's top research institutions. A leak in the tank of the sprinkler system has saturated the floor in the second basement of the city's largest university construction project, requiring it to be removed and replaced, according to Science Senator Katharina Fegebank (Greens) and Finance Senator Andreas Dressel (SPD). This has pushed back the handover by at least one semester. Both described it as a bitter setback.
Originally planned to be completed in 2019, then targeted for mid-2024, the new building has now been delayed by six months. Costs have also spiraled from the originally estimated 140 million euros in 2012 to around 425 million euros today.
"We're in the final stretch of completion, and this unforeseen water damage is a real blow for everyone," said Fegebank. The news was a shock to all. "It's crucial that this damage doesn't impact the excellent research and science that will be housed in the House of Earth in the future." Currently, it is spread across multiple sites in the city.
Hamburg University's climate research is globally leading and has been repeatedly recognized as excellent, said Norbert Ritter, Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics, and Natural Sciences. "We're confident that despite this latest setback, all remaining work, particularly the commissioning of the labs, will be completed promptly to create excellent conditions for excellent research."
The extent of the damage from the leak is not yet known, said Dressel. "A construction site becomes more expensive the longer it lasts." The ongoing maintenance of the site costs about one million euros per month.
Approximately 2,000 square meters are affected, according to Jens Kerkhoff, Managing Director of the Building Management Hamburg. "This area contains the operational rooms necessary for technical operation." Despite the damage, the equipping of offices and labs continues.
The leak was discovered in early April after the tanks installed in the basement at the start of construction were filled for the sprinkler system's commissioning. Up to 40,000 liters of water seeped into the ground, said Kerkhoff. Technical drying is not possible, so the floor must be replaced. This involves removing around 700 cubic meters of debris from the building's basement and installing a new floor.
The city intends to hold the construction company liable for the damage, said Dressel. "This was an unexpected issue in an existing building. No one wanted this. We will pursue all legal means against responsible companies to limit potential damages to taxpayers."
The SPD, represented by Finance Senator Andreas Dressel, has expressed concern over the increased costs and extended duration of the project due to the water damage. Despite the setback, Hamburg University's climate research, led by Norbert Ritter, remains optimistic about completing the remaining work promptly for top-tier research.
