Expertise / Pyrite and defective blocks
Pyrite and defective concrete blocks
From the test result to the finished floor. AOCA helped write the national standards for pyrite remediation and has managed some of the largest residential remediation programmes in Ireland.
Between 2016 and 2023 AOCA helped develop two NSAI National Standards for pyrite remediation and went on to manage some of the largest residential remediation programmes in Ireland. The Dublin office, opened in 2014, grew to offer the full range of engineering services along with pyrite investigation.
AOCA specialises in the management of building defect remediation projects, including pyrite, fire safety defects, water ingress, structural defects, façade defects and legacy construction issues. We manage the process from investigation and scope development through to design, procurement, site works, stakeholder communication and close-out.
Pyrite: testing and what the result means
Pyritic hardcore under a ground floor slab swells as the pyrite oxidises, lifting floors, cracking walls and jamming doors. Testing to the Irish standard I.S. 398 samples the hardcore, measures its reactivity and assigns a damage category to the building. The category decides whether the house is monitored, remediated now, or needs no action.
We arrange the sampling and laboratory testing, interpret the result in plain terms, and tell the owner what it means for the house, for a sale, and for a claim.
Pyrite remediation
Remediation means removing the ground floor slab and the hardcore beneath it, replacing both to the standard, and making good the house. We prepare the scope and specification, procure the contractor, supervise the works and certify completion so the owner has the paperwork a buyer or a bank will ask for.
Defective concrete blocks
Blocks containing excessive mica or pyrrhotite crumble and crack from the inside, the problem seen across Donegal, Mayo and increasingly elsewhere. The Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme funds assessment and remediation. We carry out the engineer's assessment to I.S. 465, categorise the damage, and prepare the remediation option and the application.
Modern methods of construction
We support Modern Methods of Construction manufacturers in developing robust, compliant and certifiable structural systems, providing structural design and technical documentation for NSAI Agrément certification and compliance with Part D of the Building Regulations.
Common questions
My test came back with a category. What now?
Send us the report. We will tell you in plain terms whether the house needs monitoring, remediation or nothing, and what the next step is for a claim or a sale.
Do you handle the whole remediation?
Yes. Scope, specification, procurement, supervision and the completion certificate.
Do you cover defective concrete blocks as well as pyrite?
Yes. We assess to I.S. 465 and prepare the engineer's report for the grant scheme.
Talk to an engineer, not a switchboard.
Tell us what you're planning and we'll give you a straight view on feasibility, cost and programme — before you commit.