Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Failure - Residential Buildings Affected?

[blup]

It's predominantly flat roof "planks" which are the problem. They've been used since the 50's, and were expected to have a 30 year life. Well it's only 70 odd years, so why on earth should there be a problem...
There have been warnings since the 90's.
Fitters often didn't use a long enough bearing distance (some were specc'ed at 45mm but the planks didn't get it)
The design is crap, it's asking for failure.
The stuff is effectively porous, hence its weight increases a lot due to the amount of water it holds.
And the thermal insulation thereby fails.
The surface cracks and spalls and plants grow.
Where there's reinforcement, the bond to the concrete fails - small movements crunch it.
Yes the steel will rust .
All concrete weathers - rain is slightly acidic, and it has an effect on the chemistry. The pores join up.
People walk on roofs when they shouldn't, people drill holes through it, and on and on.

Plain dumb design and heads in the sand.

How do you think industrial design would have fared in fared in this country without steel reinforced concrete in bridges car parks etc, exactly the same principle and susceptibility to manufacturing and installation faults.

Blup

 

[Roy Bloom]

The RAAC is not the problem, in that it has a design life span, and a designed use with planned maintenance.
The problem is governments disregarding the designed life span and not heeding advice on maintenance.

Rishi Sunak, along with the 13 years of Tory government, bears a high degree of responsibility for the current debacle:

former top civil servant at the Department for Education, Jonathan Slater, told the BBC earlier that the fund for rebuilding schools was halved in 2021, when Rishi Sunak was chancellor.

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/uk-66701626

The planned school building replacement/repair needed was:

According to that, 300 to 400 schools needed to be repaired per year "because of the system the schools were built with was post-war concrete and it was only supposed to live for 30-40 years".

Yet the government policy was for only 100 schools to be repaired, just a quarter of what was desparately needed for the safety of our children.

When they went to the Treasury, they got funding to rebuild 100 schools per year.

That was reduced by a further 50% by Rishi Sunak as Chancellor.
So only 1/8th of the repairs needed were funded.

Now the current Tory Chancellor tells us that the government will spend whatever is necessary to repair all schools, except they won't provide the funding for it.

I've told all my creditors they'll all be paid, except I won't be paying.

 

[Odds]

I was just going to post from the BBC-live thread but you beat me to it; although i'd add that only 1% of surveyed schools are affected it's a very bad look for the government to reduce funding only to find they're going to need even more to correct the problems. Like reducing the pandemic stockpile before Covid, this government has a way of shooting itself in the feet.

 

[Roy Bloom]

It's not just schools, there's hospitals, police stations and court buildings also affected.

 

[denso13]

An instance would be Ronan point, bonus being introduced, the collapse of carrilion etc etc.

There were no errors as such in using RAAC. It worked well for the 30 years it was due to last. Leaving it in place for a lot longer than that is the issue.

 

[securespark]

They even made vegetables from concrete

Blup

They were still serving them at my school in the early eighties!

 

[Odds]

They were still serving them at my school in the early eighties!

Two words to strike terror in the heart of anyone at school in the 70s.

Spam Fritters.

They should've used them for a supporting wall. They'd still be there. No probs.

 

[motorbiking]

I thought local authorities were responsible for maintaining buildings?

 

[Brigadier]

I thought local authorities were responsible for maintaining buildings?

With what?

 

[Odds]

With what?

With sticky back plastic and blu-tack: don't you watch Blue Peter?

 

[securespark]

Two words to strike terror in the heart of anyone at school in the 70s.

Spam Fritters.

They should've used them for a supporting wall. They'd still be there. No probs.

I quite liked them!

 

[Odds]

I quite liked them!

Weirdo.

 

[motorbiking]

Fish pie

 

[Odds]

I quite like fish pie...

 

[Brigadier]

With what?

With sticky back plastic and blu-tack: don't you watch Blue Peter?

My apologies; I didn't recognise you from your username on here, Mr Hunt