Over 100 million Euros for thermal rehabilitation of apartment buildings in Iaşi

• This will allow improving the thermal insulation of 4500 apartment buildings

Doru Mocanu, Iaşi

Around 4500 apartment buildings of the city of Iaşi could be included in the thermal rehabilitation program. Mihai Chirica, technical manager of the mayoralty of the city of Iaşi, said: "The thermal rehabilitation program is intended for buildings made before 1989. Buildings with elevated seismic risk will not be accepted as part of the program. The city of Iaşi has over 4500 apartment buildings eligible for this program, which will cost around EUR 100 million".

Experts feel that the program raises aesthetic and technical challenges, which should be carefully handled. Constructors requested the creation of a mayoralty commission to supervise the works. Mircea Grigorovschi, the local representative of the Romanian City Planner Register, said: "We need a city planning commission to constantly monitor the execution of these works, which does not exist yet. We need to implement a system for creating a unified look, and also verify the compliance with the terms of the tender book. There are numerous companies that win all the auctions by underbidding, and then their execution doesn"t meet the technical requirements".

Moreover, the officials of the Iaşi mayoralty insisted that technical evaluations should also try to uncover any structural flaws. Mihai Chirica said: "Simply insulating blocks can cover up fissures, which can be extremely dangerous in the event of earthquakes. Which is why we intend to thoroughly check buildings made between 1950 and 1977, because they are the most vulnerable to earthquakes. 37 buildings are scheduled for thermal rehabilitation this year, and work will begin for another 13 buildings. That is on top of the four buildings which were modernized last year".

The thermal rehabilitation program of the city of Iaşi covers 50 apartment buildings. The administrators of 13 such buildings have already agreed for works to begin on their buildings. Another 37 blocks scheduled to become part of this program are in the planning and evaluation stage. Mayoralty officials said that criteria for prioritizing the beginning of the rehabilitation works will be drafted soon.