The present Cork
Courthouse was built in 1895 and stands on the site of the original 1836
Courthouse designed by George Richard Pain and his brother James which was
destroyed by fire in 1891. A competition was subsequently instigated by
the Corporation of Cork and the Commissioners, in which there was a
condition requiring the preservation of the portico and façade on
Washington Street, which was all that remained intact after the fire. The
winning scheme designed by W. H. Hill Architect was completed in
1895.
Until this contract started on site
in April 2003, the building had remained largely unaltered.
Wykamol and a
contractor from Dublin were involved with a project to waterproof the
ground floor and basements.
In all 3000 metres of Wykamol cavity drain membranes were used on the
ground floor areas coupled with 13 super sump systems incorporating 26
pumps and battery back up systems, making this a challenging project.
This was a
technically difficult job on the Grade 1 Listed structure which is one of
Cork's most important buildings.
Steps had to be taken to ensure protection from the occasional floods that
strike the city. The whole basement areas had to be made secure
from the tidal floods that have reached an all time high water mark of 2.9
metres. Wykamol membranes were used to a height of 3.1 metres high,
coupled with channels and sump pumps and a new structural slab was also
installed by the main contractors.
A final sign off was completed where all the pump systems were checked
vigorously to ensure the building would be protected in the future.
The ground floor
and sub floor areas are now being used for holding prisoners as five cells
have been incorporated as well as an underpass where prisoners are taken
through to the court area.
This case
study has been submitted by a member and the British Structural
Waterproofing Association accepts no responsibility for its content.
