Risks of Potential RAAC Roof Collapses
We recently carried out a series of Stage 1 RAAC inspections for a private college.
The survey of the colleges' leisure centre highlighted the importance of careful planning to consider the location of Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) within the building when carrying out a RAAC survey.
Most of the structural building components could be accessed without the need to disturb ACMs, however, in one location this was not the case.
A gym forming part of the building which used to be a squash court had a fixed Asbestos Insulation Board (AIB) ceiling. The flat roof structure could not be fully accessed and inspected from above and was different from the rest of the building, so we needed to inspect above the AIB to check for RAAC.
We discussed options with our client, we could either project manage the removal of a small section of the AIB under controlled conditions by a licenced contractor to allow us access for the inspection. Alternatively, all of the AIB could be removed by licenced contractor and the ceiling re-instated with a modern suitable equivalent. The college was already planning a refurbishment of the gym, and the AIB also posed an ongoing exposure risk to staff and pupils, so they opted for the latter option.
We obtained quotations from multiple contractors on behalf of the college and appointed a contractor for the works during the Easter Half Term. Our project management includes site meetings with the college works team to plan logistics around the job, namely access, service isolations, welfare, and reinstatement works. We will closely project manage the removal works and ensure the project flows seamlessly, maintaining communications and updates between all parties.
Once the AIB has been removed, we have scheduled within the works programme to inspect the roof structure for RAAC and complete that inspection before the new ceiling is reinstated.
You can find out more about RAAC Inspections here or contact us today for support and guidance.