Extensive asbestos finds at the Currong apartment block in Canberra has seen the cost of demolition double, from an expected $3 million to $6 million.
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Robson Environmental has recommended access be prohibited to parts of the building, including the hall cupboards above the water cylinders in every apartment until the asbestos is removed.
Robson's investigation found asbestos contamination throughout the building, including friable asbestos used as spray insulation on pipes in utility cupboards and boiler rooms. Insulation packing around cables through the floor and ceiling slab also contains asbestos.
The apartments all contain bonded asbestos in asbestos sheets used to line kitchen units, vinyl floor tiles, woven sheath on electrical cables throughout, and in window and door putty. While that asbestos is "non-friable", the report notes that debris from asbestos sheeting was in cupboards above hot water cylinders in apartments throughout.
The debris analysed in one hot-water cupboard was found to contain chrysotile, amosite and crocidolite asbestos.
Robson said all asbestos must be removed before demolition. As well as prohibiting access to hot water cylinder cupboards, access should prohibited to cupboards adjacent to the lifts to boiler rooms at the end of each block, and to the external floor ducts to the perimeter of the building footprint.
Air monitoring was compulsory during removal of friable asbestos and should be considered for all of the removal work, Robson said.
The building now stands empty ready for demolition to begin in September, but it had been occupied for some years by university students, and before that by public housing tenants.
The extent of contamination has doubled the demolition cost. Public Housing Renewal Taskforce head David Collett said while industry estimates last year had put the cost at $3 million, it would cost $6 million.
"Further investigations during the tender process determined the presence of significant amounts of asbestos which has led to an increase in the demolition cost," he said.
Robson said asbestos sheeting or "fibro" was bonded and did not present an exposure hazard unless it was cut, abraded, sanded or otherwise disturbed. It was therefore critical to maintain the integrity of these materials, it said.
Friable asbestos has the potential to release fibre under minimal disturbance and removal requires stringent control.
The Currong apartments are the high-rises behind the Allawah public housing blocks on Cooyong Street, with 212 units. The government is demolishing both blocks, as well as the Bega apartments on the other side of Ainslie Avenue.
Mr Collett said the housing taskforce was sourcing replacement accommodation for the tenants in the 114 Allawah units and would begin discussions with them shortly about their move. Bega, which also has 114 units, would come later.
The Currong flats, built in 1959, are six L-shaped blocks, each eight stories, They were Canberra's first high-density public housing and its tallest buildings for some years.
