Anyone RAAC...ed off

[Onelife]

So where is the money coming from to rebuild/make safe Schools, hospitals etc?

I hope we don’t waste money on a public enquiry as we already know where this all went wrong e.g., cheap turn-arounds for fast bucks. Nothing changes, does it?

[oldbluefox]

This, for decades has been a ticking time bomb. Throughout the past 60 years public buildings have been put up on the cheap with little thought how long they would last. Consequently we now have a stock of buildings which have for too long been patched up but are not really fit for purpose Whoever thought it was a good idea to build with a process acknowledged as having a 30 year shelf life? And whilst it is the Tories now left holding the baby and taking all the flak the Labour party over the years has been equally to blame.
Meanwhile it seems there is no shortage of money for successive governments to waste on their idyllic flagships which cost billions to satisfy a minority. These buildings should never have been put up using materials which, in the long term, are totally inappropriate and unsuitable.
I suppose the usual fools will foot the bill whilst the government of the day splashes money which could be better spent elsewhere.

[towny44]

This, for decades has been a ticking time bomb. Throughout the past 60 years public buildings have been put up on the cheap with little thought how long they would last. Consequently we now have a stock of buildings which have for too long been patched up but are not really fit for purpose Whoever thought it was a good idea to build with a process acknowledged as having a 30 year shelf life? And whilst it is the Tories now left holding the baby and taking all the flak the Labour party over the years has been equally to blame.
Meanwhile it seems there is no shortage of money for successive governments to waste on their idyllic flagships which cost billions to satisfy a minority. These buildings should never have been put up using materials which, in the long term, are totally inappropriate and unsuitable.
I suppose the usual fools will foot the bill whilst the government of the day splashes money which could be better spent elsewhere.

It wasn't until the 1980s that it was found that poorly maintained RAAC might only have a 30 year lifespan, and by the 1990s its use was virtually ended. Maybe it should have been tested more vigorously, but it's probably not easy to replicate 30 years neglect.

[Ray B]

I am just fed up with the interviews with drama queens who are worried the ceiling may collapse on them..
It looks like some schools have just a corridor or a hall that has RAAC. Now I'm no building surveyor, but if the supporting walls are strong enough, then maybe the roof can be removed and a new one installed, which may speed up turning the schools around much quicker.
There you are, jobs a good un.

[Onelife]

Could not agree more Foxy…this is a monumental cock up which is going to cost the tax payer billions to put right. As your rightly say…why on earth did they allow structurally inadequate materials to be used knowing that they only have a 30-year lifespan? Even being aware of the lifespan of this material they should have factored in the renovation and replacement costs after 30 years before giving the go ahead. I was watching a 1960’s documentary last night highlighting the deficiencies of this construction material but also the poor construction methods used to install such materials. The views expressed were from independent architects and x construction workers. One of the construction workers was asked how many of the joining bolts were not adequately positioned correctly…he said on one building it was about 80%.

[Onelife]

This, for decades has been a ticking time bomb. Throughout the past 60 years public buildings have been put up on the cheap with little thought how long they would last. Consequently we now have a stock of buildings which have for too long been patched up but are not really fit for purpose Whoever thought it was a good idea to build with a process acknowledged as having a 30 year shelf life? And whilst it is the Tories now left holding the baby and taking all the flak the Labour party over the years has been equally to blame.
Meanwhile it seems there is no shortage of money for successive governments to waste on their idyllic flagships which cost billions to satisfy a minority. These buildings should never have been put up using materials which, in the long term, are totally inappropriate and unsuitable.
I suppose the usual fools will foot the bill whilst the government of the day splashes money which could be better spent elsewhere.

It wasn't until the 1980s that it was found that poorly maintained RAAC might only have a 30 year lifespan, and by the 1990s its use was virtually ended. Maybe it should have been tested more vigorously, but it's probably not easy to replicate 30 years neglect.

Hi John…I’m not sure there is a way of maintaining RAAC panels other than replacement if found to be faulty.

[paultheagle]

"RAAC is still manufactured and installed all over the world and can be an appropriate construction material if properly designed, manufactured, installed and maintained. Our research has shown, however, that this is often not the case for RAAC panels constructed in the 1950s, 60s and 70s."

There is nothing wrong with RAAC but it has to be maintained and inspected regularly and thereby lies the problem. Governments of all colours have neglected to do that. I think it was 2018 when a school roof made of RAAC collapsed. That should have been the point where all buildings (not just schools) should have been properly inspected, but it was left until 2023 before action was taken. They have always known that RAAC had a shelf life.