What was the cladding on Grenfell Tower?

It is made from polyethylene (PE), plastic sandwiched between two very thin sheets of aluminium.

What is flammable cladding made of?

Many cladding materials currently used are flammable to varying degrees, including very common Aluminium Composite Panels (ACPs). These have a plastic-based core material (such as polyethylene), with a sheet of aluminium glued to either side.

What cladding is flammable?

Aluminium composite panels (ACPs), as used at Grenfell, containing a polyethylene core can be highly flammable. High-pressure laminate (HPL) cladding, which is also widely used on high-rise buildings, is at least as flammable.

Which company put the cladding on Grenfell Tower?

Arconic, formerly known as Alcoa, supplied the Reynobond 55 cladding panels with a polyethylene (PE) core that were used in the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower, and were later found to have fuelled the blaze which claimed 72 lives.

Why did Grenfell cladding burn?

The fire was started by a malfunctioning fridge-freezer on the fourth floor. It spread rapidly up the building’s exterior, bringing fire and smoke to all the residential floors. This was due to the building’s cladding, the external insulation and the air gap between which enabled the stack effect.

Why was flammable cladding used?

Experts said the composite foam sandwich panels helped spread the fire quickly from the lower floors all the way up the block. The material used in the cladding on Grenfell was the cheaper, more flammable version of the two available options, an investigation of the supply chain by The Guardian claimed.

Is cladding a fire risk?

When combustible materials are used for cladding or when materials are applied in the wrong way, there are increased risks regarding fire safety. But luckily, when you make the right choices, facade cladding is a completely safe option.

Why was flammable cladding allowed?

In 2006, changes to UK building regulations, intended to facilitate greater energy efficiency at lower cost, arguably made combustible cladding and insulation in buildings over 18m legal, and opened the way to its widespread use.

Does cladding need to be fireproof?

Last year, the UK set out new regulations which stated that exterior cladding panels on residential buildings, schools, care homes and hospitals over 18 metres must have a fire rating of Euroclass A.