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Post-mortems on Celtic Tiger houses

Regarding the pyrite attack affecting Celtic tiger houses (Irish Examiner, Jul 17), I have been a regular visitor back home to Ireland from Africa.

I am a member of various institutes, including the Irish Institute of Clerk of Works. During the boom I doubt if people of my calibre were welcome on the one-house-a-day, one-street-a-week, assembly sites, unlike Hong Kong, for instance, which has the highest concentration of Clerk of Works on the planet and, I believe, the highest standards as well.

During the post-war years in the UK, a construction boom was also experienced, especially with motorways. New types of chemicals were used as accelerants and retardants and initial routine tests were usually normal. After some time whole massive areas of concrete failed, due to what was proved to be the harmful affects of chemicals. Construction companies appeared to just re-brand as repairs companies to carry out the reconstruction work.

I had intended being back home for good as soon as possible, but for what? — the only service that my lot can offer now is attending post-mortems on dead houses.

Pat Power
Chegutu
Zimbabwe Home

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