RAAC pilot works

PILOT WORKS on five council properties affected by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) could be set to go ahead if councillors approve a tender next week.

Dundee City Council’s neighbourhood regeneration, housing and estate management committee will be asked to agree that Morrison Construction (trading as Galliford Try) carry out the remedial works.

The housing service has identified five empty properties of different types across the city affected by RAAC as the test bed for solutions to the issues caused by the material.

Kevin Cordell, committee convener said: “We want to be able to implement and test a practical, economic solution for each house-type in the council stock that contains RAAC and to establish suitability for possible future roll out across all our affected properties.

“This tender allows us to move towards that with an experienced contractor who will work with the council’s in-house design team to share knowledge and find the most practical and best value solution.”

If the committee, which meets on Monday (May 12), green lights the tender, the pilot remediation will involve installing a new roof structure directly below the existing one so that the RAAC is fully supported and therefore at no future structural risk.

In addition to the pilot project, the RAAC in communal areas of five properties in Menzieshill, currently in a poor condition, will have their redundant roof-mounted water tanks decommissioned and the RAAC permanently remediated using the same method.

The work, costing a total of £500,000 is expected to start in June, and be completed later in the summer.

A report on the council's response to RAAC was considered by the committee last May. It detailed plans for an ongoing inspection regime in properties where RAAC has been identified and agreed that a tender be brought forward to a future committee meeting.

Where these properties are privately owned responsibility for maintenance lies with owners who have been recommended to seek their own advice regarding the condition of RAAC present within their property.

Lynne Short, deputy convener of the committee added: “The report last May set out a course of action including further regular detailed inspections to monitor the condition of properties where RACC was found and dealing with those in need as part of capital programmes.

"This tender delivers on that and in the meantime other properties will continue to be monitored.”