Quarry denies supplying flawed materials for houses

A QUARRY accused of supplying defective materials used in three housing estates has denied the claims three days before the issue is to come before the High Court.

Irish Asphalt yesterday rejected claims by Menolly Homes that cracking and damage to some houses in three north Dublin housing estates was caused by excessive levels of the mineral pyrite in the infill material it supplied from its quarry at Bay Lane, Kilshane, Co Dublin.

Menolly, Dublin's largest housebuilding firm, is claiming damages of more than €18 million against Irish Asphalt and the Lagan Group following the discovery of what it claims was pyrite in the infill material used under concrete floors in three housing estates: Drynam Hall in Kinsealy; Beauparc at Clongriffin; and Myrtle at The Coast in Baldoyle.

Menolly has been carrying out expensive remedial work on more than 160 houses and two creches since the discovery of large cracks in the walls and floors.

Irish Asphalt is one of many companies controlled by the Lagan brothers, Michael ( 57) and Kevin (52) who rank among the top construction businessmen in Ireland. The London-based Estates Gazette recently estimated that the Lagan operation could be worth about £928 million.

Irish Asphalt said in a statement that the existence of pyrite in quarry material is "very common."

It comes in two forms, reactive and non-reactive/non-expansive. Pyrite may only become a problem if exposed to a continuous and permanent oxidation process, thus and becoming reactive.

"Investigations, which continue, are confirming that Irish Asphalt's pyrite is non-reactive."

Irish Asphalt complained that because of the failure of Menolly to give it reasonable access to residential units in the three estates, or to allow joint testing and sampling, it was compelled to bring a High Court application earlier this year. The outcome had been an agreed protocol regarding the monitoring, sampling and testing of materials at the three estates.

The company said that following the court agreement on January 11th it had now commenced monitoring and testing in the affected houses. "Even at this preliminary stage, Irish Asphalt is satisfied that there has been no evidence of pyritic swelling in the affected dwellings."

Pointing out that it had filed "a full defence," Irish Asphalt said it believed that the alleged defects in some houses and in the three estates were the result of "defects in the ground conditions . . . Cracks in floors were caused by settlement and not by pyrite."