Call for fire tests transparency as 75 buildings fail

Aaron Morby 8 years ago
Share

Industry fire experts are calling for much greater transparency around what type of fire testing regime is being used to check cladding systems.

Cladding is being removed from buildings from Plymouth to Liverpool
Cladding is being removed from buildings from Plymouth to Liverpool

Questions are being raised after the Government revealed the total number of buildings with condemned cladding has soared to 75  – 100% of all those tested.

So far the Government has only confirmed that the Building Research Establishment combustibility test has three categories rated 1 to 3.

It has been judged that cladding material falling in category two or three does not meet the requirements for limited combustibility in Building Regulations, although the details of what this test involves has not been revealed.

Some industry professionals are concerned that the Government has applied the most stringent Building Regulation guidance that only allows materials of limited combustibility or Class A2.

But building elements do not need to comply with A2 grading if fire tests prove the system as a whole meets the requirements to BS8414.

Experts have warned that far more comprehensive tests on the entire cladding system are needed to establish if buildings are at-risk including the insulation and design details such as fire stops.

A cladding contractor and former fireman told the Enquirer: “Nobody knows what the three-stage tests are that they are applying to samples sent in, but all are failing.

“The letter states that the ACM should achieve A2 standard to comply with Building Regs but Approved Document B does not say that. We can’t understand where they are getting their information from.

“It’s highly likely they are failing tower blocks unnecessarily. ”

The shadow housing secretary, John Healey, warned the House of Commons that “cladding is not the whole story”.

Fire risk consultant Stephen Mackenzie said: “The government is fundamentally flawed in its use of the BRE to conduct overly simplistic and limited fire test samples and not the complete cladding assembly.

“The small scale tests on external panels need to to be extended to a full disassembly.”

Another source told the Enquirer: “We are still not being told what materials or systems are failing – is it just Reynobond (PE) cladding or other materials? More information is required.”

In an update on the failed number of cladding samples found on buildings within 26 local areas, Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said the Government was also working with the Government Property Unit to oversee checks on wider public sector buildings.

“Hospitals are well prepared – each one has a tailored fire safety plan,” he said.

“But nothing is more important than the safety of patients and staff, so on a precautionary basis we have asked all hospitals to conduct additional checks.”

Across the wider government estate 15 buildings have been identified as requiring further investigation.

Latest news

Network Rail fined £3.75m after double track worker death

Michael Lewis and Gareth Delbridge were killed while working on rail line in Wales
1 day ago

Local contractor Castle lands £60m South Shields campus

Work to start this summer on new home for South Tyneside College and South Shields Marine School
1 day ago

GRAHAM wins £100m deal after safety regulator approval

Dyecoats scheme in Leeds becomes one of first to receive Building Safety Act Gateway 2 green light
2 days ago

London Super Sewer now fully connected

10-year construction programme draws to a close
2 days ago

McLaren signs off £125m London Bank over-station job

Developer Helical secures funding deal for 8-storey office job
2 days ago

Work on Labour’s new towns to start by 2029

More than 100 sites put forward for a dozen new town locations
2 days ago

Unite hails 12 years without a site accident at Battersea

More than 4,000 union members have worked on the redevelopment without a single serious accident
2 days ago

Housing orders surge offers hope after 5.2% new work fall last year

Housing orders surged 24% in final quarter of 2024 as developers release schemes
3 days ago

McLaren Property gets new Construction Director

Jon Mangham joins from Equans
2 days ago

BAM Construction suffers £40m loss after Co-op Live setback

Civils business profit surges 24% to £80m
3 days ago

Over 150 jobs axed as J S Wright goes under

Insolvency specialist FRP Advisory goes in at Birmingham M&E specialist
3 days ago

Extra cash found to speed-up safety regulator

Government to spend extra £2m to clear backlog of high rise approvals
3 days ago

Galliford Try lands £63m RAF accommodation deal

Work to start within months at RAF Digby in Lincolnshire
3 days ago

Balfour Beatty wins Trent arched bridge job

Briton Fabricators will build the £13m bridge from prefabricated sections
3 days ago

Goldbeck to build new £50m Cardiff County Hall

German-owned contractor vowing to be a "disrupter in the UK market"
3 days ago

Laing O’Rourke chairman to step down

Ray O'Rourke to take over chair from Sir John Parker
4 days ago

Farrans lands Leeds Bradford Airport phase 2 upgrade

Contractor takes follow-on refurb job after terminal extension
3 days ago

ISG built Bristol housing block to be torn down

Contractor's collapse sinks Bristol flats remediation claim
4 days ago

RSK revenue nears £2bn as losses soar to £132m

Refinancing last summer puts group on course for more growth this year
4 days ago

Bridge design wind error adds £20m to construction costs

Completion of £148m Grantham Southern Relief Road delayed by a year
4 days ago

Rayner pledges extra £350m for social house building

More than 3,000 homes could be built with cash injection
4 days ago

City’s biggest retrofit tower scheme approved

Triple-fronted 70 Gracechurch Street building will rise to 33 storeys
4 days ago

Defibrillator saves worker’s life on Wates site

Machine operator saved after "dying" for 16 minutes on prison job
5 days ago

Funding deal for £125m Camden Roundhouse scheme

Developer Regal set to start 264-bed student scheme
5 days ago

Balfour leadership rejig to focus on three key growth sectors

Divisional CEO trio take lead roles for energy, defence and transport expansion
5 days ago

ABP bidders day for £150m Humber ports pipeline

Nine projects in the pipeline to support automotive and energy transition schemes
5 days ago

Hinkley Point C to create 3,000 jobs as work ramps up

Fitout surge to swell workforce to 15,000 in next 18 months
5 days ago

Hercules sells suction excavator division for £2.4m

Loss making arm sold by labour hire specialist
5 days ago

Foundations complete at HS2 Old Oak Common station

Station base completed using 76,000 cubic metres of concrete and 17,000 tonnes of reinforced steel
5 days ago

Bids invited for £175m consultancy framework

Fusion21 inviting consultants to join latest four-year deal
5 days ago

Contractor services