Seven Cladding Systems Failed

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24 August 2017 | Updated 01 January 1970

The latest in the government’s series of fire safety tests of cladding and insulation combinations has been completed by the Building Research Establishment (BRE).

These large scale tests will allow experts to understand how different types of cladding panels behave with different types of insulation in a fire. This additional test was of a wall cladding system consisting of Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding with a fire retardant polyethylene filler (category 2 in screening tests) with phenolic foam insulation.

The government’s expert panel advises that the results show that the combination of materials used in the test does not meet current Building Regulations guidance.

Initial screening tests have identified 22 buildings over 18 metres tall in England known to have a combination of ACM with a fire retardant polyethylene filler with phenolic foam insulation. Cladding samples from each of these buildings had already failed earlier combustibility tests conducted by BRE and their owners were sent government advice detailing the immediate interim safety measures that needed to be completed. Appropriate measures have been put in place for all 22 of these buildings.

Seven

The series of large-scale tests initially included 6 combinations of cladding systems. On 8 August 2017, the government announced that on the advice of the expert panel it would undertake a further test. It should be noted that not all manufacturers' variants have failed.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/638874/Test_7_advice.pdf

53 Identified

To date 53 people have been formally identified, having died following the following the fire at Grenfell Tower. Also, baby Logan Gomes who was stillborn in hospital on 14 June, has been recorded by police as a victim of the fire.

Article written by Robin Snow | Published 24 August 2017

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