Cladding tests carried out for the Association of British
Insurers (ABI) have conflicted with the results of the government's
post-Grenfell cladding tests but the Independent Expert Panel set
up by Government respond saying the current British Standard test
is a robust test.
Research conducted on behalf of the insurance industry in the
wake of the Grenfell Tower fire has challenged the adequacy of the
large scale fire safety tests currently used
to check the fire safety of cladding systems & building
materials.
The ABI commissioned the Fire Protection Association (FPA) to
carry out a series of controlled experiments recreating what they
say are more realistic building conditions than those in which the
standard tests are done, in an effort to measure what difference
these factors could make in the event of a fire. The report by the FPA highlights a number of
factors which they say are overlooked by the official test used by
the Government including:
- Test fires which are only made up of wood. In modern blazes,
around 20% of the materials involved are plastic.
- Cladding materials are sometimes tested as a sealed unit,
whereas when fitted on a building they often include gaps, and
cover a far more extensive area.
- Materials tested will be in manufacturer condition, but during
their actual use will often be pierced by things such as vents or
ducts.
In launching the report, Huw Evans, Director General of the ABI,
said:
"Dame Judith Hackitt's important work post-Grenfell has already
recognised the building control system is broken. This latest
research is yet more evidence that fundamental reform is needed to
keep our homes and commercial premises safe from fire. It is a
matter of urgency that we create the right testing regime that
properly replicates real world conditions and keeps pace with
building innovation and modern design."
Following publication of the ABI/FPA report the Government
appointed Independent Expert Panel, appointed to advise on the
immediate safety action following the Grenfell fire, issued a statement saying the current British
Standard 8414 test is a robust test under which a wall with a
complete cladding system - including panels and insulation - fixed
to it, is subject to a fire that replicates a severe fire in a flat
breaking out of a window and whether it then spreads up the outside
wall.
ARCH Chief Executive John Bibby comments:
"No doubt Dame Judith Hackitt will take these matters into
consideration in her Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety
but whatever the technical arguments about the detailed methodology
for conducting large scale fire safety tests, this does not take
away from the need for such tests.
The mere fact that there are these technical arguments about the
methodology for conducting large scale fire safety tests reinforces
the argument that such tests (in whatever final form may be agreed
by the Hackitt Review) are needed and 'desk top studies' have
no place in assessing the fire safety of cladding systems and in
the meantime ARCH will respond to the recent Government a consultation paper on restricting or banning
the use of 'desktop studies'."