The exterior aluminum cladding with flammable polyethylene core used on the Grenfell Tower in London is banned in the US on buildings taller than 40 feet.
The cladding is suspected of being the main factor in creating an inferno that killed at least 79 people in the residential tower. The plastic-and-aluminum panels on Grenfell Tower were reportedly also involved in three catastrophic fires in Dubai. Reports suggest it would have cost an additional £5,000 (about $6,300) for contractors to apply a fire-resistant version of the cladding to the building.
Other factors including the gap between the wall and the rain screen, which could have created a chimney effect and sped flames and smoke up the building’s exterior; ineffectual fire alarms; a lack of sprinklers; and just a single fire stairway instead of multiple ones have been suspected of contributing to the high loss of life.
Thousands of residential high rises across the U.K. are expected to undergo urgent safety reviews as a result of the tragedy.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Sep 21, 2020
No ease of lumber price spikes in sight
Wildfires strike Northwest timber industry in wake of Covid-19 shutdowns.
Codes and Standards | Sep 17, 2020
Spate of energy code appeals could hamper efficiency progress
Construction and fossil fuel interests oppose portions of latest model energy code.
Codes and Standards | Sep 16, 2020
Heat pumps are the future for hot water
Sustainability policies will drive trend.
Codes and Standards | Sep 15, 2020
Taller timber buildings approved in National Fire Protection Association code
Ensures compatibility with the International Building Code.
Codes and Standards | Sep 14, 2020
Relocation of neighborhoods, the next step in U.S. flood strategy, is underway
Repeated rebuilding after successive floods now seen as bad policy.
Codes and Standards | Sep 10, 2020
Fannie Mae programs provide incentives for multifamily solar
Affordable housing projects can find PV installations to be cost-effective.
Codes and Standards | Sep 9, 2020
Corporate pledges accelerate net-zero building movement
World Green Building Council drives goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Codes and Standards | Sep 8, 2020
Study will examine elevator airflow amid COVID-19 pandemic
Researchers to investigate risk of airborne transmission.
Codes and Standards | Sep 4, 2020
Updated selection, application guide for plastic glazed skylights, sloped glazing released
Part of suite of skylight documents by Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance.
Codes and Standards | Sep 3, 2020
Turner Construction takes strong stand against racism
Shuts down work sites for anti-bias training.