Old brick buildings can literally start crumbling and become dangerous, claims a professor specializing in brick construction at research agency SINTEF Byggforsk. Tore Kvande says more wind, more precipitation and sudden temperature swings can loosen roofing, weaken a building's structure and cause a facade to crack.
"In Oslo, there are many buildings of an advanced age that should get extra attention," Kvande told newspaper Aftenposten on Tuesday.
The collapse of a building in downtown Oslo Sunday evening has highlighted the need to secure old buildings, especially those that already are damaged or standing vacant around town. A young woman was killed when bricks and rubble from the building at Trondheimsveien 6 crashed down on her as she happened to walk by.
The victim was identified as Linda Henriksen of Sandnes, western Norway. She was in Oslo this week in connection with plans to work for the aid organization Kirkens Nødhjelp (Norwegian Church Aid).
Her sister told newspaper VG Tuesday that Henriksen had traveled to many dangerous places around the world as an aid worker, and was heading for the West Bank to help Palestinians, only to be killed on an Oslo street in what many are calling a freak accident.
More such accidents can happen, experts say, and building owners are ultimately responsible. The owner of Trondheimsveien 6 faces charges of negligent homicide, while he claims the building had been secured and that he'd encountered bureaucratic delays in trying to get the city's permission to tear it down.
