Project Overview:

GHPC was engaged by Zurich Insurance to review this complex claim, which involved a range of defects across the roof, basement and drainage elements to an apartment block of 39 properties in Truro.

Some works had previously been carried out by Zurich to remediate water ingress issues from the roof, however these had proved not substantial enough, given the repeated problems.

GHPC was appointed to analyse the reported defects across the block of apartments, survey all properties with reported issues and propose a remedial solution to Zurich, identifying the possible cause of the defects. These included; persistently leaking pitched, slate roofs (which featured significant elements of leadwork), extensive drainage problems, extensive damp and water ingress issues in basement apartments largely caused by poor design, detailing and workmanship on-site.

The building was in a very exposed location across 5 storeys, with underground & podium level car parking, residents’ gym and apartments within the basement - there were extreme limitations to access the building for works and consequently scaffolding and works programme had to be very carefully designed, with limited original design information taking into account the very limited space, the hill-top location surrounded by adjacent housing to the boundaries, as well as structural implications of scaffolding the building from the podium car park, which had loading restrictions.

GHPC designed and specified the remedial solutions for the buildings, tendered and procured the contract, managed the contract, project managed the remedial works on-site, acted as CDM Co-ordinator and provided ongoing design advice and technical support to the contractor throughout the works - which, due to the nature of the works and the exposed location of the site, had to be fully scaffolded within the major space constraints and to take account of the significant logistical restrictions, to ease disruption to the residents, who remained in-situ throughout the works - no de-canting of residents was carried out.

The works were carried out over a period of 6 months, let to the successful tendering contractor as Principal Contractor under a JCT Contract.