The federal government is giving the University of Connecticut $768,000 to research the problem of crumbling foundations in eastern Connecticut.
Thousands of homes in Connecticut have been damaged by pyrrhotite — a mineral that’s mixed in with concrete by some quarries. It’s been traced to quarry in Willington used by a now-defunct concrete company.
Experts say the goal of the research grant is to understand the scope of the crisis and determine when the weakened concrete causes a real danger to the integrity of a foundation.
Some estimates put the number of homes with crumbling foundations as high as 35,000. That could put the total cost in the billions.
