Heave-ho! A laboratory model of an underfloor environment incorporating pyritiferous fill

Abstract

Damage to domestic dwellings in the greater Dublin area of Ireland caused by the expansion of underfloor fill material containing pyrite has become a high-profile national problem in recent years. In this paper, a novel experiment is described in which the succession of underfloor materials, with vertical dimensions at full scale, is reproduced. The study has enabled the amount/rate of expansion and pressures generated due to the expansion of the pyritiferous fill, with and without imposed loading on the concrete slab, to be ascertained over a period of 800 days. The rates of expansion are relatively consistent with those recorded from reference pipe experiments. These data form an important frame of reference for anticipating the time at which damage might begin to manifest itself in domestic dwellings.