Contractors : Are you Responsible for the Quality of your Materials?

In the article referenced below, our partner Julien Tricart looks back at one feature of the recent “pyrrhotite affair” in Trois-Rivières, a prime example of contractors’ responsibilities with regard to the quality of their materials.

Right from the outset, the controversial case of pyrrhotite in Trois-Rivières has been the subject of much discussion. In 2009, the first legal actions were undertaken by homeowners following the discovery of cracks in their properties’ concrete components. The judgments ended up identifying pyrrhotite contained in the concrete as central to the problem.

Contractors, formwork workers, concrete mixers, quarry, and geologist (and their insurers) all seem to have had their share of responsibility.. But to what extent is the contractor, along with its subcontractors and suppliers, bound to ensure the quality of the materials used in a construction project?