My Reader's Response (Draft 1) - Claddings
From the article "Use of cladding in buildings here have grown in recent times: Experts", Mokhtar (17 June 2017) reported that use of cladding has increased recently, despite being under strict observation after the tragic incident of Grenfell Tower. The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is gathering more information on the event to improve on their rules regulating the use of cladding.
Cladding has its many uses; from noise reduction to purely for aesthetic purposes. It provides insulation to reduce the energy needed to cool down or keep cool a building. Buildings such as Asia Square Tower and The Cathay use cladding for these reasons.
However, cladding poses a hazard when it comes to fires, often allowing the fire to spread. Ventilation gaps that keep the building cool end up allowing the fire to go up to other levels. Nonetheless, Singapore still adopts the use of cladding but follow strict safety standards on the materials used to meet the class ‘0’ standard.
In response to Mokhtar's article, the deadly Grenfell blaze could have been prevented if the original cladding, that met all required standards, was not changed subsequently to save cost. (The council’s negligence is to be blamed for the deadly fire.)
According to (Grenfell Tower, 19 July 2017) documents obtained by the BBC, the claddings were originally proposed to be made of zinc. However, the council, Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO), accepted the lowest possible bid to save cost despite advices from the surveyors to not use a cheap material. According to (Booth & Wahlquist, 14 June 2017), the council have accepted the use of polyester powder-coated (PPC) aluminium rain-screen panels, which saved the council £300,000. Nevertheless, PPC is not a fire-retardant mineral, which is greatly a fire hazard.
Furthermore, the council did not maintain its fire safety equipment regularly. According to (Grenfell Tower, 19 July 2017), the fire extinguishers have not been tested for more than 12 months, also, no instructions were given to residents as to what actions to take in the event of an emergency. The only fire advisory notice pasted in the lift was an instruction for the residents to stay in their flat with their windows and doors shut if the fire is elsewhere in the block.
Similarly, according to (Blakeman,14 June 2017), a former worker of the council for 20 years, stated that fire alarms often do not work, and no fire sprinklers were installed at the communal areas. She also stated that a proposed idea to build an additional staircase externally was turned down due to the extensive costing of £30 million. This would mean that there is only an escape route for the residents, which is the stairwell at the middle of the building.
In conclusion, the negligence of the council to properly maintain the building have led to the death of many. If fire safety equipment were maintained, and if a better cladding material was used instead, lives could have been saved and the fire would not have blazed.
References:
Faris Mokhtar (2017). Use of cladding in buildings here have grown in recent times: Experts. Retrieved from http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/use-cladding-buildings-here-have-grown-recent-times-experts
Keiligh Baker. (14 June 2017). Was cladding to blame for rapid spread of fire? Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4604296/Was-cladding-blame-spread-tower-block-fire.html
Concerns raised about Grenfell Tower 'for years'. (14 June 2017). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-40271723
London fire: What happened at Grenfell Tower? (19 July 2017). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-40272168
Oliver Wainwright and Peter Walker. (14 June 2017). 'Disaster waiting to happen': fire expert slams UK tower blocks. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/14/disaster-waiting-to-happen-fire-expert-slams-uk-tower-blocks
Cladding has its many uses; from noise reduction to purely for aesthetic purposes. It provides insulation to reduce the energy needed to cool down or keep cool a building. Buildings such as Asia Square Tower and The Cathay use cladding for these reasons.
However, cladding poses a hazard when it comes to fires, often allowing the fire to spread. Ventilation gaps that keep the building cool end up allowing the fire to go up to other levels. Nonetheless, Singapore still adopts the use of cladding but follow strict safety standards on the materials used to meet the class ‘0’ standard.
In response to Mokhtar's article, the deadly Grenfell blaze could have been prevented if the original cladding, that met all required standards, was not changed subsequently to save cost. (The council’s negligence is to be blamed for the deadly fire.)
According to (Grenfell Tower, 19 July 2017) documents obtained by the BBC, the claddings were originally proposed to be made of zinc. However, the council, Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO), accepted the lowest possible bid to save cost despite advices from the surveyors to not use a cheap material. According to (Booth & Wahlquist, 14 June 2017), the council have accepted the use of polyester powder-coated (PPC) aluminium rain-screen panels, which saved the council £300,000. Nevertheless, PPC is not a fire-retardant mineral, which is greatly a fire hazard.
Furthermore, the council did not maintain its fire safety equipment regularly. According to (Grenfell Tower, 19 July 2017), the fire extinguishers have not been tested for more than 12 months, also, no instructions were given to residents as to what actions to take in the event of an emergency. The only fire advisory notice pasted in the lift was an instruction for the residents to stay in their flat with their windows and doors shut if the fire is elsewhere in the block.
Similarly, according to (Blakeman,14 June 2017), a former worker of the council for 20 years, stated that fire alarms often do not work, and no fire sprinklers were installed at the communal areas. She also stated that a proposed idea to build an additional staircase externally was turned down due to the extensive costing of £30 million. This would mean that there is only an escape route for the residents, which is the stairwell at the middle of the building.
In conclusion, the negligence of the council to properly maintain the building have led to the death of many. If fire safety equipment were maintained, and if a better cladding material was used instead, lives could have been saved and the fire would not have blazed.
References:
Faris Mokhtar (2017). Use of cladding in buildings here have grown in recent times: Experts. Retrieved from http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/use-cladding-buildings-here-have-grown-recent-times-experts
Keiligh Baker. (14 June 2017). Was cladding to blame for rapid spread of fire? Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4604296/Was-cladding-blame-spread-tower-block-fire.html
Concerns raised about Grenfell Tower 'for years'. (14 June 2017). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-40271723
London fire: What happened at Grenfell Tower? (19 July 2017). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-40272168
Oliver Wainwright and Peter Walker. (14 June 2017). 'Disaster waiting to happen': fire expert slams UK tower blocks. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/14/disaster-waiting-to-happen-fire-expert-slams-uk-tower-blocks
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