We have to overcome these shortcomings

SHOCKING. The wall that shouldn’t have been, says our headline. And from what has been revealed so far by the mayor of Kuala Lumpur, and also through the expert opinion of a geologist and a land development specialist, we can surmise that the collapse of the retaining wall at Bukit Setiawangsa was an accident waiting to happen.

The mayor said the wall built in 1990 would not have been approved under present specifications, while the experts weighed in on the limitations of such structures, known in the industry as shotcrete, and why alternatives should have been considered.