Horrific Fire Engulfs London Apartment Tower

[JimC]

Apparently Australia's CSIRO tested the exact same cladding panels that were added recently to the building. They found them massively flammable and had to stop their test due to the extreme fire it caused.

Some recent tower blocks at Docklands in Melbourne have been criticised for el-cheapo cladding. Don't know if it's the same stuff, but its flammability was an issue, I gather. Perhaps this event in London will spark authorities here to act...

[Brian Peacock]

Some stories of firefighters extending their shifts beyond 24 hours and coming in from off days to help their colleagues despite a management overtime ban. Duty above and beyond.

[Scot Dutchy]

It had no fire proof staircase and fire resistant covering on the outside. It was a tower for poor people.



Also no one has clue who lived there.

I think you are jumping to conclusions. It seems a number of extended families lived in the block and there is a pretty close community based around the block. Plus, this is Kensington, one of the most expensive places to live in the UK - though these would be low end for the area.

That is exactly the problem: Extended families. There is no registration system in Britain and so long as the rent is paid no one bothers. The numbers of transient people will never be known. How many people can live in a four bedroom flat? It is obvious the landlord could not give a damn.

[Alan B]

Construction Enquirer

Grenfell Tower fire probe focuses on cladding

A key area of investigation will be the common rainscreen system used on the Grenfell Tower, which is designed to include fire-breaks at every floor and around every window.

Experts believe this may have failed with the void between the aluminium panels and building fabric acting as a chimney to spread the fire.

The system has been used on many tower block revamps and the Government has now ordered checks on all buildings in the UK that have been revamped in recent years.

Chris Miers, a forensic architect, said: “I was surprised to see the extent of fire and its rapid spread. The risk is if the void is not adequately subdivided it would act as a chimney.”

The building was overclad with with Aluminium Composite Material cassette rainscreen. This consists of two thin aluminium sheets sandwiching a core material. The panels are available with polyethylene or less flamable mineral cores.

My Bold & Underline

I wonder which core was the cheapest?

Edit: See also Wiki

[Scot Dutchy]

Well polyethylene or as it usually known; polythene is dirt cheap.

[JimC]

That aluminium/polythene cladding is exactly the one that has been used in some recent quick-built Melbourne apartments.

The authorities need to force the builders to replace it...

[Alan B]

All the 'authorities' are claiming the building and modifications met 'regulations'. It's bleeding obvious that the 'Regulations' need now to be reassessed or that there was some rather suspect 'fiddling' going on.

It could also be that the Tory cut-backs to local councils - 'Austerity' in it's many guises - could be a contributing factor.

We'll see!

[Alan B]

The Construction Index

Rydon was the contractor responsible for the refurbishment. Chief executive Robert Bond said: “We were shocked to hear of the devastating fire at Grenfell Tower and our immediate thoughts are with those that have been affected by the incident, their families, relatives and friends.

“Rydon completed a partial refurbishment of the building in the summer of 2016 for Kensington & Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation on behalf of the council. The project met all required building regulations and handover took place when the completion notice was issued by the Department of Building Control, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. We are working with the relevant authorities and emergency services and fully support their enquiries into the causes of this fire.”

When that statement was first posted on Rydon’s website it said that the work “met all required building control, fire regulation and health and safety standards”. The reference to fire regulation was later deleted.

My emphasis.


But they might have deleted 'fire regulation' out of sensitivity to the present situation.

[Scot Dutchy]

Do fire regulations actually exist and what status does it have; compulsory or advisory. Also who enforces them?

[JimC]

Do fire regulations actually exist and what status does it have; compulsory or advisory. Also who enforces them?

According to libertarians, even if they are a muddle and sometimes ignored, they are evil government red tape that should be abolished...

[Scot Dutchy]

Well that wont happen here (TG!). There was a report on the Dutch news into the fire regs here as to whether a situation like in London could arise. Well apparently all plans for tower blocks have to approved by the state inspectors and the fire service and both bodies check the building every year.

[pErvinalia]

Socialism!

[Scot Dutchy]

'Fraid so but bunnies are nice.

[Brian Peacock]

Mrs May has heeded residents' and campaigners' calls and initiated a public inquiry - which is actually quite a big thing for the Landlord party to do.

A cynic person might predict that the inquiry will exonerate the landlord and find the caretaker to blame.

[pErvinalia]

Blame the tenants. I'd suggest fabricating a story that the apartment where the fire started was in fact a Meth lab.