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Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Varche on 01 September 2023, 13:07:54

Title: RAAC building concrete
Post by: Varche on 01 September 2023, 13:07:54
Paging dave the builder…..

Life span of 30 years?. Hardly seems worth it.
Title: Re: RAAC building concrete
Post by: STEMO on 01 September 2023, 13:18:52
Paging dave the builder…..

Life span of 30 years?. Hardly seems worth it.
Short termism, what every government does. 'We won't be in politics in thirty years, and it's a well cheap short term solution........let's do it."

I've worked in Clasp type 4 school buildings that had an expected life span of 25 years, still standing 50 years later, and full of asbestos.

https://greenfieldremovals.com/clasp-buildings-of-the-50s-simple-cost-effective-dangerous/

Title: Re: RAAC building concrete
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 01 September 2023, 13:24:05
Its the usual media flap.

RAAC is a very good structural solution but, like everything, it needs to be looked after. The major issue is maintenance, if its kept dry and was manufactured and installed correctly in the first place, it can last a very very long time. What is being seen is leaking flat roofs (its often used to create structural roof panels and beams as its very strong and also a fraction of the weight of the equivalent concrete) corroding the structural steel rods and blowing the RAAC, there have also been cases where the form was manufactured wrong or installed wrongly (upside down!).

So in summary, its less tolerant to poor maintenance, manufacture and installation.........and that is what we are seeing now.
Title: Re: RAAC building concrete
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 01 September 2023, 14:08:03
I still shudder to think of the state of some of the hollowcore concrete planks that were  sent from my old workplace to be installed in schools, blocks of flats and various other buildings.
Large areas of drag cracks on the undersides filled with grout to disguise them , units which were broken in the yard but the crack closed up when they were supported at both ends so sent to site, lorry drivers coming back from site reporting them being installed with only 15mm bearing on the walls because they had been cut too short. A couple of tons of concrete with only 15mm of it sat on a wall at each end !
Management didnt want to know and swept it under the carpet every time.
One of these days I expect to hear about a building collapse from it.
Title: Re: RAAC building concrete
Post by: dave the builder on 01 September 2023, 18:29:27
Paging dave the builder…..

Life span of 30 years?. Hardly seems worth it.
I'm in Derbyshire  ::)
we're still using wattle n daub  :D
Title: Re: RAAC building concrete
Post by: Rangie on 01 September 2023, 18:41:20
On the news now hospitals being added to the suspect list, this is going to get bigger than Ben Hur.
Title: Re: RAAC building concrete
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 01 September 2023, 18:55:53
Ah the latest thing to get hysterical about....  ::)   :-X

Time for a nice cup of tea.  :)   
Title: Re: RAAC building concrete
Post by: Keith ABS on 01 September 2023, 19:23:19
I still shudder to think of the state of some of the hollowcore concrete planks that were  sent from my old workplace to be installed in schools, blocks of flats and various other buildings.
Large areas of drag cracks on the undersides filled with grout to disguise them , units which were broken in the yard but the crack closed up when they were supported at both ends so sent to site, lorry drivers coming back from site reporting them being installed with only 15mm bearing on the walls because they had been cut too short. A couple of tons of concrete with only 15mm of it sat on a wall at each end !
Management didnt want to know and swept it under the carpet every time.
One of these days I expect to hear about a building collapse from it.

Only issue we have Albs is from an unknown souce of water undermining the footings of a block so causing some subsidance
Title: Re: RAAC building concrete
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 01 September 2023, 20:41:17
We did a lot of fancy little staircases for student flats at the Uni about 30 years ago. Probably been replaced by something else by now.  ::)
Title: Re: RAAC building concrete
Post by: Raeturbo on 01 September 2023, 21:33:42
Just the right time to swap the students for the immigrants ::)
Title: Re: RAAC building concrete
Post by: Kevin Wood on 01 September 2023, 23:45:07
We did a lot of fancy little staircases for student flats at the Uni about 30 years ago. Probably been replaced by something else by now.  ::)

Didn't have fancy staircases when I was there, just a dodgy lift where occasionally the doors on floor 12 would open when the lift was at floor 13. That sobered me up pretty quick after an evening in the bar the first time it happened! Seeing your extended foot hovering over an empty lift shaft tends to have that effect. :o
Title: Re: RAAC building concrete
Post by: Keith ABS on 02 September 2023, 08:10:48
We did a lot of fancy little staircases for student flats at the Uni about 30 years ago. Probably been replaced by something else by now.  ::)

No, all still there Albs
Title: Re: RAAC building concrete
Post by: Keith ABS on 02 September 2023, 08:12:47
We did a lot of fancy little staircases for student flats at the Uni about 30 years ago. Probably been replaced by something else by now.  ::)

Didn't have fancy staircases when I was there, just a dodgy lift where occasionally the doors on floor 12 would open when the lift was at floor 13. That sobered me up pretty quick after an evening in the bar the first time it happened! Seeing your extended foot hovering over an empty lift shaft tends to have that effect. :o

We have had two towers fully refurbed with all new lift gear as well. Next one is being done later this year for completion next summer. The bits Albs and me were talking about is the South Courts Accomadation. No lifts, just small staricases, max four storey
Title: Re: RAAC building concrete
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 02 September 2023, 13:22:01
In which case I should have recognised them when my son was living there about 5 years ago.
When they left our place they where all made in a special white concrete and had to have a completely unblemished finish.
Mr Milbank wouldnt listen to the manager responsible, who assured him they would be covered in student puke by the Christmas break.
It actually broke the manager. Just before the contract was finished he told Mr Milbank to shove his job up his arse and walked out.  ;D
Title: Re: RAAC building concrete
Post by: scimmy_man on 03 September 2023, 11:19:21
dont forget once upon a time we thought using asbestos in buildings was a good idea,

this was a new material totally untested,
only after a few years did someone decide its not very long lasting,
Title: Re: RAAC building concrete
Post by: Kevin Wood on 04 September 2023, 23:44:44
We did a lot of fancy little staircases for student flats at the Uni about 30 years ago. Probably been replaced by something else by now.  ::)

Didn't have fancy staircases when I was there, just a dodgy lift where occasionally the doors on floor 12 would open when the lift was at floor 13. That sobered me up pretty quick after an evening in the bar the first time it happened! Seeing your extended foot hovering over an empty lift shaft tends to have that effect. :o

We have had two towers fully refurbed with all new lift gear as well. Next one is being done later this year for completion next summer. The bits Albs and me were talking about is the South Courts Accomadation. No lifts, just small staricases, max four storey

Ahh.. That was all built after my time.

I still remember my first day there, moving all my stuff up the stairs to the 12th floor of Bertrand Russel tower because the lift was broken. ::)