Quang Nam considers proposals on the project to preserve, restore and renovate the Cham tower relic site of Khuong My

After reviewing Report 103 dated May 14, 2024 of the Provincial Construction Investment Project Management Board on the implementation status of the project to preserve, restore and renovate the Khuong My Cham Tower relic site, the Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Construction to preside over and coordinate with the Department of Information and Communications, Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and relevant sectors and units to study and review the content of the report, proposals and recommendations of the Provincial Construction Investment Project Management Board in the above document. Then, synthesize, report and propose to the Provincial People's Committee to consider, direct and handle according to its authority or propose to competent authorities to consider and give opinions for implementation.

The restoration project cannot recreate the patterns on the Khuong My Cham tower. Photo: IT

Relevant departments, branches and units are responsible for coordinating, exchanging, providing relevant information, and proposing the Provincial People's Committee to direct and handle according to its authority the proposals and recommendations of the Provincial Construction Investment Project Management Board.
Report 103 dated May 14, 2024 of the Provincial Construction Investment Project Management Board stated that the board was assigned by the Provincial People's Committee as the investor to carry out 2 projects: Preservation and restoration of Khuong My Cham tower (Preservation, restoration and restoration of the North tower and the Middle tower of the Khuong My Cham tower relic site, items: tower body and East-facing door) and Preservation, restoration and restoration of the South tower of the Khuong My Cham tower relic site (items: tower body and East-facing door).
Up to now, the project of Preservation, Repair and Restoration of the North Tower and the Middle Tower has completed the handover and is in the process of final settlement. The project of Preservation, Repair and Restoration of the South Tower has completed the design and estimate approval.
However, the project to preserve, renovate and restore the North tower and the Middle tower of the Khuong My Cham tower relic site, the tower body and the East door, after completion, showed signs of salt and crumbling on the surface of the tower after restoration.
The Institute of Construction Science and Technology - Ministry of Construction has conducted a survey and taken samples to analyze Khuong My tower. At the same time, it has checked the records and documents that have been researched and surveyed in the past and present about other towers with the phenomenon of salt floating and crumbling brick surfaces similar to Khuong My tower in the Central and Central Highlands regions (Podam tower, Po Sah Inu tower - Binh Thuan; Po Nagar tower - Khanh Hoa; Nhan tower - Phu Yen; Canh Tien tower, Doi tower - Binh Dinh; My Son tower group - Quang Nam ) to find the cause.
After a period of research, analysis, calculation and comparison, the Institute of Construction Science and Technology reported that the cause of the above phenomena in the towers is due to chemical corrosion mechanism.
This phenomenon appeared at Khuong My tower earlier and was more obvious because it was closer to the sea and was affected by the groundwater level of the irrigation canal of Phu Ninh lake running near the tower.
From there, the Institute of Construction Science and Technology proposed solutions, specifically: Increase the construction warranty period, periodically clean to remove salt and moss on the surface, replace the crumbling bricks in the joint area between the old and new masonry blocks with bricks fired with greater intensity.
However, the above solutions are only temporary solutions, only reducing the speed of salt floating and crumbling of brick surfaces after restoration. The phenomenon of salt floating and crumbling of brick surfaces after restoration of towers is an objective phenomenon and almost impossible to overcome if the solution of reinforcing the masonry with restored bricks is still used.
At the same time, the Provincial Investment Project Management Board has sent a document requesting the Center for Monument Conservation Technology; the Monument Conservation Institute - Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to urgently establish a maintenance and preservation process for the project of Conservation, Restoration and Rehabilitation of the North Tower, Middle Tower, items: tower body and East door; project of Conservation, Restoration and Rehabilitation of the South Tower, items: tower body and East door.
The Provincial Investment Project Management Board has sent a document requesting My Gia Design and Construction Company Limited to urgently review, survey, and carefully re-evaluate the current status of the project and study appropriate restoration interventions to propose additional solutions to improve the quality and efficiency of the project, overcome the early occurrence of salt and brick crumbling phenomena as occurred at the North Tower and the Middle Tower, especially preservation solutions after restoration.
The Provincial Investment Project Management Board proposed the Provincial People's Committee to temporarily suspend the implementation of the project to preserve, renovate and restore the South Tower, including the tower body and the East door.
At the same time, assign specialized agencies to research and propose additional solutions to fundamentally overcome the phenomenon of salt floating and crumbling of brick surfaces. After having accurate scientific results, we will continue to organize and carry out repairs at the construction site.
However, the tower is at high risk of collapse so research must take a certain amount of time.