CONSTRUCTION
RAAC plank safeguarding – challenging the status quo
With the issue of addressing the risks from RAAC planking in public buildings such as hospitals and schools very much in the spotlight in recent months, Alister Broadberry, Area director for the Eastern Counties at Morgan Sindall Construction, describes the business’s recent work for a Norfolk acute hospital Trust to help keep their structural RAAC planks safely, swiftly, and securely propped ‘for years to come’.
The last few years have seen the NHS stretched further than ever – and over the past 2-3 years, it has rarely been out of the headlines. One of the less widely publicised challenges facing our health services, however, stems from its actual structures. It all comes down to the historic use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in the construction of a number of hospitals and school buildings. This lightweight form of concrete was used primarily for roofs from the mid-1950s to the mid-1980s. It was seen as a faster, cheaper source of building manufacture, but it largely consists of air, leaving it vulnerable to moisture ingress and tensile deterioration. The limited durability of RAAC
structural components has long been recognised, with lifespans expected to be only 30 years, yet many are still in service four decades later. The sudden collapse of a ceiling at an Essex primary school, back in 2018, propelled the issue into the spotlight – and recent reports including those by the LGA and the DfE have suggested the problem may be more serious than previously recognised, with failures being recorded before adequate visual deterioration had been identified.
Survey on RAAC Last year the Department for Education opened a survey in relation to RAAC in school roofs, in a bid to better understand the prevalence of RAAC across the school estate. On the NHS side, hospital Trusts have worked hard to identify and implement emergency safety mechanisms – such as steel supports and props – to reduce the risk of collapse, and the Government has committed £110 m for temporary safeguarding of any affected hospitals. A directive has also been issued by NHS England/Improvement stating that all RAAC must be removed from NHS hospitals by 2035. A rapid, cost-effective, and sustainable solution was needed to make sure that patient safety remained central to
70 Health Estate Journal January 2024 The timber support system screwed in under the RAAC panels.
hospital operations. However, live hospital environments pose unique challenges, and replacing their RAAC roofing planks with modern, stronger alternatives has caused significant disruption for some. Where the issue was ‘resolved’ by simply adding structural steel supports, for instance, hospitals have reported a constant need to disrupt and relocate functions, along with a general sense of patients feeling unsafe. In some cases, Trusts have submitted bids to tear down and rebuild hospitals, rather than continue with replacement steel supports.
Surveying by the fabricator The main challenge with steel reinforcement is that each RAAC plank needs to be surveyed by the fabricator – for which access to the affected areas of the hospital is needed. After this, a lengthy programme around the steel lead time needs to be implemented, so that delivery takes place on an agreed date when the area can be accessed for installation. Given that the RAAC planks are in live wards, and even theatres, arranging
access for set-in-stone dates is immensely challenging – the steel solution unfortunately falls short on the quick and flexible installation process front, while material shortages and cost increases also mean it is unlikely to offer the best value for money. Recognising this, it was vitally important
to the Morgan Sindall Construction team that we worked with others to create a more viable solution – one that could act as a blueprint for multiple hospital RAAC replacement projects around the UK. The opportunity came when we were appointed by the James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Gorleston to help keep their structural RAAC planks safely, swiftly, and securely propped for years to come. Working with the Estates Department
at the James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and WSP, we took the solution right back to the drawing board, and locked down three key pillars for success: 1. A structurally sound and tested solution. 2. A quick and flexible installation process. 3. Best value for money.
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