The Holocaust memorial in Berlin is disrupted by cracks

Berlin - Two years after its opening, the German central Holocaust memorial in Berlin has construction problems. One in six of the 2711 concrete blocks of varying sizes that make up the above-ground part of the memorial already have cracks. The contracting company will repair the blocks under warranty, but emphasizes that it had already warned about the possibility of cracking concrete slabs before construction began, German media reported today.
"It's only an aesthetic problem, not a structural one," said Uwe Neumärker, head of the foundation managing the memorial, to the DPA agency.
According to him, hairline cracks have appeared in the blocks, with a width of around one-tenth of a millimeter. The overall strength of the blocks is not affected, and the issue is rather aesthetic in nature. Rainwater washes out limestone from the cracks, creating white lines on the surface, significantly emphasizing the cracks against the gray base of the concrete.
The memorial was designed by American architect of Jewish descent Peter Eisenman, is located near the Brandenburg Gate in central Berlin, and was opened to the public on May 10, 2005. The memorial consists of a surface "sea" of 2711 stelae, with an information center about the Holocaust underground beneath them.
"We are working together with architect Eisenman and the Technical University of Berlin to resolve the issue. A solution is already taking shape," Neumärker stated. The cracks will likely be injected with artificial resin, and its surface will then be color-matched to the surrounding concrete.
Repair work on the 393 cracked blocks will begin in the fall. Experts consider the main cause of the cracking of the concrete stelae to be the weather at the turn of 2005 and 2006. That winter was exceptionally long and cold, followed by a very long, unusually hot summer. "Every concrete structure moves; the blocks of the memorial are no exception. Moreover, such temperature differences leave their mark on concrete," Neumärker noted. As other possible causes of the cracking, including secondary ones, he mentioned vibrations from the nearby subway or the ongoing construction of a new US embassy nearby.