A DUBLIN City Council senior citizens complex built just four years ago has to undergo major reconstruction work following the discovery of the mineral pyrite in its foundations.
Elderly residents of the 20 apartments at Clancarthy Court beside Donnycarney church in north Dublin had to be moved out of their homes after floors and paths began to rise and cracks appeared in the walls inside and out.
Following investigations the council discovered that pyrite, a component in building materials linked to structural damage in houses across north Dublin, had been used by the builders of the apartments, Shenick, in the foundations of the building.
However, the council said the firm has since gone into voluntary liquidation, which means the council will have to foot the bill for the remedial work, which could be in excess of €500,000.
The council has moved the majority of the residents to temporary housing in different areas over recent months.
It is still seeking appropriate accommodation for four remaining residents, and once they are rehoused, the council will put the work out to tender.
The council hopes that the work, which will involve the removal of the defective foundations and their replacement with sound material, will get under way by the end of this year.
However, it is likely to take four to six months to complete, which could leave the elderly residents in temporary accommodation for a year or more.
The complex was finished in 2006 at a cost of around €3 million.
Executive manager of the council’s housing department Peter Ayton said the council would have to bear the cost of the remedial work and it was unclear if it would be able to recoup any of the money.
“The builder has gone into voluntary liquidation. We have our legal people seeing if there’s any way we can make an insurance claim, but given that it’s a pyrite issue we need to go ahead with the work before it gets any worse.”
Pyrite expands in the presence of oxygen and moisture, which can lead to foundations of a building being pushed upwards in places, leading to structural damage. Any damage caused tends to get worse over time, Mr Ayton said.
“The sooner we do it the less damage will be caused and the less it will cost.”
The presence of pyrite in building materials began to spark concerns around three years ago when private houses built by Menolly Homes in an estate in north Dublin began to show signs of structural damage, including cracks in walls and floors.
Similar problems were soon reported in other estates of private and local authority housing built by a number of developers, including buildings that are part of the Ballymun regeneration scheme.
A number of legal actions involving local authorities, developers, around 400 home-owners, and the owners of a north Dublin quarry are ongoing.
Last year the houses of six Traveller families in Finglas, Dublin, had to be demolished after pyrite was found in their foundations.
In most cases remedial work can be undertaken to remove the defective foundations, but in the case of the houses at the Avila Estate, Finglas, the damage was so severe that they could not be repaired safely.
Material containing pyrite was also used in relation to the construction of the M3 motorway. The material was used as a filling for embankments and not as a structural material for the road, the National Roads Authority (NRA) has said.
