Media: Roof blows off apartment block in South Dublin

The_Conductor

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/1125/breaking29.htm

Roofing blown off Dublin apartments
SASJKIA OTTO

Three blocks of a Dublin apartment complex have been evacuated this morning after roofing was blown off.

Gardaí received a call this morning from the Carrickmines Manor development on the Glenamuck Road, Dublin 18.

The roof blew off in block two and landed in a nearby field, while it lifted slightly in blocks one and three. There were no reports of injuries.

According to a resident in block two, who alerted the fire brigade at 8.49am, there are 28 apartments in the block, with many young mothers and children living there. "If it the roof had gone the other way [away from field], it would have been a disaster," he said.

A number of people returned to the development this morning after hearing the news, including one man whose wife and children had to go to a shopping centre to shelter earlier today.

Gardaí and emergency services are currently at the scene. The area remains sealed off with residents preventing from returning to their apartments.

Traffic is being stopped from entering the estate near the M50/N11 junction.

Fine Gael TD Olivia Mitchell called for a full safety audit on all high rise buildings in elevated areas following this morning's incident.

"We must be grateful that nobody was seriously injured this morning in Carrickmines and it is imperative that Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Co Council finds housing for those evacuated," she said.

"I believe a full safety audit on all high rise buildings in elevated areas must be carried out immediately in order to avoid disaster in the future. We need to establish that all such buildings were finished to the relevant wind speed regulations which apply at these elevations.

"As well as inhabited apartment blocks there are dozens of empty and half-completed apartment block buildings in this elevated area," she said. "Some of these are in the hands of receivers or are about to pass into the control of Nama."

Paulw

I can totally relate to what happened. I was concerned this morning that our roof was about to let go. It sounded like tiles were being rattled.

Good to hear that no one was hurt.

markpb

Olivia Mitchell wrote:

"I believe a full safety audit on all high rise buildings in elevated areas must be carried out immediately in order to avoid disaster in the future. We need to establish that all such buildings were finished to the relevant wind speed regulations which apply at these elevations.

RTE have a photo of the block:


And just to put in context what Olivia considers high rise:


That aside, everyone living there was extremely lucky and I hope they can move back home soon. Didn't this happen another apartment block last November too?

Zamboni

I wonder if Pierse Homes have anything to answer for...



I would hate to be selling there now...

http://www.myhome.ie/residential/search/brochure/19-carrickmines-manor-carrickmines-dublin-co&-city/BACHW349750

oceanclub

Perhaps they can put a "Reduced to sell" sign on them.

I said "REDUCED to sell"...

Oh never mind.

P.

john_d_baptist

prices there have just gone through the roof :pac:

Thoie

markpb wrote: »

And just to put in context what Olivia considers high rise:

Interesting angle - the 5/6 storey above ground building in the background is hardly noticeable.

A colleague lives there and was unsure whether they were going to be allowed home tonight or if they'd have to stay somewhere else.

Someone at work had heard the builders say it was "just a decorative roof" - anyone heard any more about that? We were all rather amused at the idea of decorative roofs, but perhaps we were being unfair.

JoeyJJ

Simular thing happened in Bracken hill in Sandyford over the Christmas period last year.

tmdsurvey

Zamboni wrote: »

I wonder if Pierse Homes have anything to answer for...

Of course the builders have something to answer for (IMHO). The Insurance company should fight them like dogs over this. Roofs just shouldnt blow off....:eek:

max 73

tmdsurvey wrote: »

Of course the builders have something to answer for (IMHO). The Insurance company should fight them like dogs over this. Roofs just shouldnt blow off....:eek:

roofs dont get blown off they get sucked off (i know is there a difference between blown & sucked ...) the air that passes over the surface is distorted by obstacles (parapets, services risers, etc) and this creates a vortex which "sucks" the roof structure upwards.

from the photo above the roof covering (the waterproofing membrane) is still attached to the roof structure (roof structure is the plywood deck, rafters/joists, etc) which would indicate that the roof structure was not secured correctly allowing the wind pressures to put undue force on the "fixing" points thus resulting in the roof ending up on the road.

thanks be to god no one was injured though - an avoidable & costly mistake by the contractor (sub or main) and the engineer who signed it off!!!

Oliver1985

Zamboni wrote: »

I wonder if Pierse Homes have anything to answer for...



I would hate to be selling there now...

http://www.myhome.ie/residential/search/brochure/19-carrickmines-manor-carrickmines-dublin-co&-city/BACHW349750

Holy Jaysis 440k for a 2 bed thats crazy money!!!

DJDC

http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=38948

Another eerie thread from the boom courtesy of AAM, check out the price quoted in the OP.

uriah

max 73 wrote: »

roofs dont get blown off they get sucked off (i know is there a difference between blown & sucked ...) the air that passes over the surface is distorted by obstacles (parapets, services risers, etc) and this creates a vortex which "sucks" the roof structure upwards.

from the photo above the roof covering (the waterproofing membrane) is still attached to the roof structure (roof structure is the plywood deck, rafters/joists, etc) which would indicate that the roof structure was not secured correctly allowing the wind pressures to put undue force on the "fixing" points thus resulting in the roof ending up on the road.

thanks be to god no one was injured though - an avoidable & costly mistake by the contractor (sub or main) and the engineer who signed it off!!!

Is the public sector responsible for this fiasco too? Surely we can find some way to blame them. It cannot be that the perfect private sector so beloved of the government and the media must take the blame for this.

I jest. My sympathy to the residents who must be suffering from shock and are faced with finding alternative accommodation.

Oliver1985

Man thats crazy money!!!! Who would get 385k for a 1 bed!!! O M F G!!!:eek:

eth0_

Is there such a thing as building inspectors in Ireland? I know in the UK they routinely go out to building sites unannounced - even to people who are just building an extension on the side of their house - to make sure they are building to the plans agreed by the planning authority, and to ensure the structure is safe.

pearcider

440k for that? Now that's frightening. :eek:

bangersandmash

markpb wrote: »

And just to put in context what Olivia considers high rise

To further put it in context, that elevated area was semi-rural and littered with a bungalows until very recently. That development is comparatively high-rise compared to what is/was around it.

Glad nobody got hurt. Between this and the flooding elsewhere in the country, this is proving to be a very unfortunate winter for many people.

Ste.phen

eth0_ wrote: »

Is there such a thing as building inspectors in Ireland? I know in the UK they routinely go out to building sites unannounced - even to people who are just building an extension on the side of their house - to make sure they are building to the plans agreed by the planning authority, and to ensure the structure is safe.

I think we have them, but they operate with stereotypical council efficiency

markpb

Ste.phen wrote: »

I think we have them, but they operate with stereotypical council efficiency

I was at a conference recently where they talked about this. I can't remember the reason but they said that the councils have very little authority when it comes to building inspections.

Ulysses Gaze

They won't be getting anywhere near €440k or even €385k for those 2 beds now. After what happened yesterday, they'll be hard pushed to even get 1/3rd of that.

eth0_

markpb wrote: »

I was at a conference recently where they talked about this. I can't remember the reason but they said that the councils have very little authority when it comes to building inspections.

That's really quite scary. There could be houses/apartments out there that don't comply to the plans that were approved, or even worse, are built in such a way that makes them potentially unsafe

ben10

Not at all surprised by this, I snagged one of the apartments in this complex a couple of years ago & found 60 major snags which the building contractor refused to fix. These snags were not small either, some were stuctural & some were a sheer breach of health & safety. Any of my enquiries were met by contempt by the contractors & I would never work with them again.
I would go on but i would be afraid that it would effect court cases that are in progress against this developer & development!!

tmdsurvey

max 73 wrote: »

roofs dont get blown off they get sucked off (i know is there a difference between blown & sucked ...)

Blown off or sucked off, it all ends the same way...;)

SLUSK

I hope they can sue the company who build these "apartments".

eth0_

SLUSK wrote: »

I hope they can sue the company who build these "apartments".

If the developer still exists/has any money!

gerire

im sure he does, but no doubt amazingly the stand-alone sub company that was set up to build these is now liquidated;

Not that im scepticaal or anything like that