Irish among dead in balcony collapse

[highorlow]

Cheap construction methods.

Look at this site and their current "Verano" project. Timber frame apartment block on a in-situ podium deck for the UG basement parking / services.

http://www.seguecon.com/projects/verano-on-the-boulevard/

[From the Bunker]

Cheap construction methods.

Look at this site and their current "Verano" project. Timber frame apartment block on a in-situ podium deck for the UG basement parking / services.

http://www.seguecon.com/projects/verano-on-the-boulevard/

Jez they are just glamourised chicken coups on Raft Cement!

[From the Bunker]

They haven't even taken the article down yet . . .

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/17/us/balcony-collapse-berkeley-dead.html?_r=0

Clearly there is a issue with the behavour of some of the J1 Students who head to the USA. But this was not the time or situation to deal with such an issue. Looks like a journalist with an agenda, got wind of what had happened in Berkeley and ran uneducated with the facts with a story.

[armaghniac]

They haven't even taken the article down yet . . .

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/17/us/balcony-collapse-berkeley-dead.html?_r=0

Apparently their policy is not to rewrite history, but to apologise without actually removing the article.

Clearly there is a issue with the behavour of some of the J1 Students who head to the USA. But this was not the time or situation to deal with such an issue. Looks like a journalist with an agenda, got wind of what had happened in Berkeley and ran uneducated with the facts with a story.

I hope the guys who thrashed the house last year as feeling proud of themselves.

[Rudi]

RIP to all. It beggars belief using wood to act as a cantilever to support large weights. For reasons stated earlier steel should have been used, buried to the balls within the main block work structure. This will lead to massive payouts, personally think the engineer/ builder should do some jail time. The NY Times article was beyond belief and why say sorry and then not even remove the offending article.

[muppet]

They haven't even taken the article down yet . . .

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/17/us/balcony-collapse-berkeley-dead.html?_r=0

Apparently their policy is not to rewrite history, but to apologise without actually removing the article.

Clearly there is a issue with the behavour of some of the J1 Students who head to the USA. But this was not the time or situation to deal with such an issue. Looks like a journalist with an agenda, got wind of what had happened in Berkeley and ran uneducated with the facts with a story.

I hope the guys who thrashed the house last year as feeling proud of themselves.

I had forgotten about those clowns. At least some came forward afterwards iirc?

[dillinger]

Very sad

[laoislad]

Cheap construction methods.

Look at this site and their current "Verano" project. Timber frame apartment block on a in-situ podium deck for the UG basement parking / services.

http://www.seguecon.com/projects/verano-on-the-boulevard/

Jez they are just glamourised chicken coups on Raft Cement!

The houses thrown up in the Celtic Tiger era Ireland aren't much better.

[AZOffaly]

In fairness most houses in Ireland are built with block at least. There's horror stories alright about subsidence and the odd plumbing or wiring nightmare, but at least the structure itself tends to be sound. I, too, noted in America as far back as the late 90s how quickly houses where thrown up. They were basically wooden frames with plasterboard and stucco. In Arizona I assumed they didn't build with block because there were no extreme storms or the like, and I thought wooden frames would be less heat retaining in the summer, but it sounds like it's common practice across the states.

[muppet]

In fairness most houses in Ireland are built with block at least. There's horror stories alright about subsidence and the odd plumbing or wiring nightmare, but at least the structure itself tends to be sound. I, too, noted in America as far back as the late 90s how quickly houses where thrown up. They were basically wooden frames with plasterboard and stucco. In Arizona I assumed they didn't build with block because there were no extreme storms or the like, and I thought wooden frames would be less heat retaining in the summer, but it sounds like it's common practice across the states.

Yes and incredibly any time you see hurricane devastation, it always seems to be timber housing.

[J70]

Same all over the US. Even in parts of NYC where detached houses are the norm, wood frame, plywood walls covered with tyvek and then siding are standard. Roofs are plywood covered with asphalt.

And it seems to work fine overall if done properly.

However,  building an unsupported balcony out of wood would not be something I would have confidence in.

[Bingo]

In fairness most houses in Ireland are built with block at least. There's horror stories alright about subsidence and the odd plumbing or wiring nightmare, but at least the structure itself tends to be sound. I, too, noted in America as far back as the late 90s how quickly houses where thrown up. They were basically wooden frames with plasterboard and stucco. In Arizona I assumed they didn't build with block because there were no extreme storms or the like, and I thought wooden frames would be less heat retaining in the summer, but it sounds like it's common practice across the states.

Two words - Priory Hall

[highorlow]

The world is running out of sand / diverting it elsewhere. Hence the move towards different construction techniques.

http://www.wired.com/2015/03/illegal-sand-mining/

http://www.businessinsider.com/morgan-stanley-forecasts-sand-demand-growth-2014-9?IR=T

[muppet]

In fairness most houses in Ireland are built with block at least. There's horror stories alright about subsidence and the odd plumbing or wiring nightmare, but at least the structure itself tends to be sound. I, too, noted in America as far back as the late 90s how quickly houses where thrown up. They were basically wooden frames with plasterboard and stucco. In Arizona I assumed they didn't build with block because there were no extreme storms or the like, and I thought wooden frames would be less heat retaining in the summer, but it sounds like it's common practice across the states.

Two words - Priory Hall

That was a fire certification issue. But your point is still valid. It was Bertie who put an end to on site inspections in the 1990s.

[Bingo]

In fairness most houses in Ireland are built with block at least. There's horror stories alright about subsidence and the odd plumbing or wiring nightmare, but at least the structure itself tends to be sound. I, too, noted in America as far back as the late 90s how quickly houses where thrown up. They were basically wooden frames with plasterboard and stucco. In Arizona I assumed they didn't build with block because there were no extreme storms or the like, and I thought wooden frames would be less heat retaining in the summer, but it sounds like it's common practice across the states.

Two words - Priory Hall

That was a fire certification issue. But your point is still valid. It was Bertie who put an end to on site inspections in the 1990s.

There is cowboy buildings and developers everywhere. We have more than our fair share of them as my example shows. And it doesn't matter if its timberframe, concrete, glass, ice or straw, if its badly built it will cause problems.

I done some work a few years back for 3 couples who bought their dream homes during the good times, these where detached, brick built 5 beds in a rural setting with all the bells and whistles. Within 12 mths of moving in they where all boarded up and it took years to resolve as the builder had gone to the wall and the professionals involved where all pointing fingers elsewhere. From the contaminated water running to the houses, the sewerage that wasn't running away to the sagging roofs, the houses might as well have built by the 3 little pigs.

This is kinda off topic now, so will leave it there and leave the thread as what it was intended for.