Cladding Feature
Lessons still being learned from Grenfell
With the Grenfell Tower Inquiry resuming, Paul Richards of Aquarian Cladding Systems discusses the continuing impact of the disaster, and how the cladding industry must adapt.
Building Fabric
F
ollowing the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017, fire safety has been at the forefront of the minds of everyone involved in the built environment – including housing associations and building owners – with the fire
performance of products and their impact on both new and existing buildings continuing to be scrutinised. Te tragedy has had a huge impact on the construction industry globally, but
here in the UK cladding sector it has been felt particularly deeply. Aſter Grenfell, more than 11,000 buildings in England were identified with
dangerous cladding, with unofficial estimates putting the cost of removing that unsafe cladding at £50bn. Tere has already been a much greater sense of responsibility and caution
when specifying, using, and supplying materials on new buildings of any scale. We must however remind ourselves that we are learning what was wrong
about a system and process of design, procurement and refurbishment of a building which started in 2012 and was completed in 2016. Almost 10 years aſter the process began, we know that the use of combustible
cladding was a contributory factor but the whole industry has had to have a good look at itself to reflect on a culture described by Dame Judith Hackitt as a
‘race to the bottom’ which drove those decisions. Importantly, we are seeing evidence of a new culture influencing a new process, which will hopefully ensure it will never happen again.
MISINFORMATION Phase 2 of Module 2 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry put the spotlight on the testing, certification, and marketing of cladding products and identified a catalogue of misleading, ambiguous, and misrepresentative information provided by suppliers, as well as flaws in the testing and certification process. Te industry is already addressing some of these issues, with the
Construction Products Association (CPA) consulting with industry on a proposal to adopt the Code for Construction Product information (CCPI), which will ensure that product information is presented by manufacturers using unambiguous and transparent language with greater data traceability. Tis will ensure suppliers raise their game and stop sailing close to the wind
with their clever use of misleading case studies, which in some cases suggested that because a particular material was right for a certain project, it is right for another when used with different materials through the wall.
www.housingmmonline.co.uk | HMMFebruary/March 2022 | 41
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
