Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete : The history and development of the product, its characteristics, uses and shortcomings
Abstract
The media frenzy following the sudden closure of several schools in the summer of 2023 drew attention to the use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in many public buildings in the UK, in turn spawning political debate as to why remedial action had not been taken sooner, whether chronic underinvestment was to blame, or whether successive governments had systematically cut corners by using cheap and short-life materials. Throughout this period the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and other professional institutions attempted to maintain a reasoned approach based upon factual analysis and developing knowledge as to the long-term performance of RAAC and the practical implications of its use. Despite poor experiences in the UK, RAAC has been, and still is, used extensively throughout Europe, the Americas and the Far East seemingly without the litany of failures identified in this country. This paper attempts to explain the history and development of the product, its characteristics, uses and shortcomings. Comment will be given on survey methodology, risk assessment and remedial works along with potential legal implications for surveyors and other practitioners.
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Author's Biography
Trevor Rushton is a Chartered Building Surveyor and Chairman of Watts Group Limited, a company he joined upon qualifying in 1983. His specialisms include building pathology, to which he brings a passion for his subject and enjoys the challenges of investigation and diagnosis of difficult problems. Trevor has enjoyed technical due diligence and has worked on many prestigious developments and historic structures as well as commercial, industrial and residential building stock over the last 40 years. He regularly presents seminars on building defects and surveys and has produced numerous articles and technical papers for the Built Environment Journal and other publications. He served on the editorial panel of ISURV at its inception and has been a member of the editorial team for the Journal of Building Survey, Appraisal and Valuation for many years. He has served as an external examiner at Kingston University and recently represented the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) on radio and television news broadcasts. Trevor has produced two textbooks: one on the subject of deleterious materials and the other on defects in industrial and commercial property. Since 1983 he has edited the Watts Pocket Handbook.
Citation
Rushton, Trevor (2024, September 1). Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete : The history and development of the product, its characteristics, uses and shortcomings. In the Journal of Building Survey, Appraisal & Valuation, Volume 13, Issue 2. https://doi.org/10.69554/YCIY6541.
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