ACM Cladding and the impact after Grenfell

The dangers of ACM cladding

On 14th June 2017 the world took notice after a huge fire ripped through a 24 storey tower block in North Kensington, West London. The disaster was caused by a faulty fridge freezer malfunction, and led to the deaths of 72 people with around 70 people also injured. The reason for the fast spread of the fire was down to the cheaper ACM cladding that was used on the exterior of the building.

ACM (Aluminium Composite Material) is a type of cladding usually used in buildings as an alternative to more expensive materials. It is made from two thin pieces of aluminium with plastic in the middle, and it improves the overall aesthetic appeal of the building. Originally the benefits were cheaper, efficient and easy to maintain. The cladding also proved useful for different climates such as rainfall and wind.

The aftermath to this was uproar and people are still seeking justice to this day, and wanting closure for how this was allowed to happen. Since Grenfell, changes have been made to the way the industry operates which includes more fire checks. Due to the nature of the fire, there was an inquiry, and structural engineering has now changed for the sake of health and safety, with plastic materials banned from being used on any cladding. The plastic is thought to be the main cause of the quick spread of fires.

There were other factors such as the fireman's lift not working, and not following standard evacuation protocol.

Any building currently over 18 metres high can get a free safety check, and possibly re-evaluate the structure and change it up if needed. So far the country is in a £15bn high-rise fire safety crisis, and preventing any future disasters is the number one priority. It is vital that all buildings get checked, especially since it was as found that 82 residential buildings are currently using a mixture of cladding and insulation, and these don't meet the fire safety requirements. In a shocking study, it was revealed that fire safety checks were in decline, and between 2011-2016 dropped by 25%. One of the options being discussed was a sprinkler system, however there's controversy over how affective this would actually be not to mention the cost.

Mark Beard, executive chairman of Beard Industries has noticed changes since the Grenfell disaster saying “Over the last 18 months, there has been a gradual realisation that the quality of what we produce as an industry is unsatisfactory.

“The Grenfell tragedy was the primary event that has driven this change in thinking, but the Scottish schools’ brickwork failings, and more widely the CIOB quality commission has highlighted concern about poor workmanship to our customers and the wider public.”

Mark Beard also thinks it will be a “long haul” for construction to regain the public trust.

“There has definitely been a heightened focus on external cladding materials, fire protection, fire stopping and the like over the last year, but in my view this is only a start,”

During an inquiry it was found that Arconic, the original manufacturer of cladding for Grenfell, was fully aware of the dangers when using this material. Five years prior during the Grenfell refurbishment they knowingly used the cladding despite it not being suitable for building facades, as they didn't meet the standards set. Even in Manchester, there are still 79 tower blocks that do not meet the safety requirements, so something must be done before another disaster ensues. Despite this, a number of the buildings in Manchester have had replacement work carried out on them as they had unsafe cladding. However the task force said there are still 79 buildings in the region which 'do not meet adequate standards of fire safety'.

Just down the road in Salford, many residents are facing huge bills as costs to replace cladding can range from £12,000 to £34,000, depending on the size of their home.

          Cladding being removed from a high rise

The Building Amendment Regulations came into force on 21st December 2018 and introduced the ban of combustible materials, but more specifically banned from use in external walls on any high rise building. This doesn't just affect residential buildings, it also applies to schools, student accommodation and hospitals. The ban also affects buildings that have had a change of material, as it will bring that building into one of these categories. 

From now on, all materials used must have a European fire rating of Class A-1 or A-2, which means that any wooden material is banned from use, providing the building is 18 metres or over.

Local authorities have the backing of the government to enable them carry out any emergency work on affected private residential buildings. The backing includes any financial loss, although that cost is expected to be recovered from the building owners. No amount of money can recover a life, but we can prevent anything similar from happening in the future. The safety of the residents is the most important factor, not cutting costs.