INVESTIGATIONS are being conducted into all those involved in the Housing Development Corporation’s (HDC) Trestrail Lands housing project in D’Abadie, Minister in the Ministry of Housing Phillip Edward Alexander has said.Speaking with the media following a tour of the housing project yesterday, Alexander said everyone who had signed off on critical aspects of the project had questions to answer as the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) determined what went wrong and whether the structures could be salvaged.The project, which comprised of the construction of 110 townhouse units, is said to have technical findings indicating that the development had not been built in accordance with its structural designs. The assessments have raised concerns about soil settlement, construction defects and the structural integrity of the buildings.“Everybody who signed off on any critical aspect of this project from the quotation stage to now, they have some questions to answer,” Alexander said.He said he did not want to prejudice any investigation but acknowledged that the issues could eventually attract the attention of law enforcement.He said the townhouse blocks should not be occupied in their present state. “This has to be demolished,” Alexander said.The technical assessment identified evidence of soil settlement, with cracking observed throughout the masonry structures. It also found that sections of the development had not been constructed in accordance with the structural drawings.Concerns were raised about the foundations and the soil bearing capacity used in the original design.The assessment also found that the superstructure had not been constructed strictly in accordance with the structural drawings. As a result, the technical team said the performance of the buildings during a seismic event could not be established.“What that means is there are codes for earthquakes in Trinidad and Tobago, and these apartments, these townhouses, fail to meet that standard and therefore the HDC cannot guarantee that these houses would stand (during an earthquake),” Alexander said.Questions were also raised about the roof structure and whether its performance during a significant wind event could be guaranteed.The technical team recommended additional boreholes to establish the soil parameters in the areas on which the townhouse blocks were constructed and compare those findings with the assumptions used in the original design.Questions about the adequacy of reinforced concrete areas and the supporting soil were also raised.Alexander said the HDC had conducted a cost-impact study to determine whether the buildings could be retrofitted and repaired instead of demolished.The initial estimate was about $20 million, but Alexander said the figure could increase once the structures were opened up and the full extent of the defects established.“We are not even sure of the infrastructure, of the drainage, the underground drainage, the wiring,” he said.He compared the situation with the Las Alturas development, where demolition became necessary after significant expenditure had already been incurred.“The cost to taxpayers to identify this before it is completed is a lot less than to complete it, like Las Alturas, and then have to demolish it,” he said.More projectsunder reviewThe Trestrail Lands project was among several HDC developments inherited by the Government that were now being reviewed to determine whether they could be completed, repaired or should be abandoned.Alexander said the Government did not want to continue spending money on projects that could later prove defective.“All projects that are on the way, and many Housing Development Corporation projects, will be investigated to ensure that we are not completing one of these,” he said while gesturing to the dilapidated structures surrounding him. “Anything that can be continued is being continued.”He said Trestrail Lands was not the only HDC development under review and referred to Marcano Quarry, Carlton Place in San Fernando, Gomez Trace in Moruga and Lake View in Point Fortin.He said residents at some of the developments had been complaining about problems with their homes for years.According to Alexander, the Government had inherited an HDC with substantial financial obligations.He said HDC had approximately $700 million in payables, including about $300 million owed to contractors, about $300 million in employee pension-related obligations and more than $100 million above its overdraft limits.He said another $1.5 billion was required to complete works in progress.