Elected Member Briefing - Update on RAAC in buildings

About this briefing note

Report by: John Beveridge, Property Services

Date: 5 September 2023

Subject: Update on RAAC in buildings

Details

Purpose

To provide information on the position on Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in the Council estate following recent media coverage. 

Background information 

RAAC is the abbreviated term used for Reinforced Autoclave Aeriated Concrete. RAAC is a lightweight, bubbly form of concrete which can be found in roofs and occasionally in walls and floors. It looks like standard concrete but the material does not have the same strength qualities and is less durable. RAAC was favoured during the construction of buildings between 1950s and mid 1990s based on its lightweight and thermal properties and ease of installation. 

Following recent media coverage of schools in England we have had a number of queries from media and stakeholders. 

Position in Perth and Kinross 

We have been aware of RAAC since May 2019 when this was highlighted in an alert through our Corporate Health and Safety team.  There was no specific government advice at this time.  Proactively, we carried out an initial review of existing building condition information which was followed up with non-invasive visual inspections where required. No buildings were identified as containing RAAC at this time. 

Building Condition Survey Programme 

Across the Council's estate we have a robust Building Condition Survey programme in place and this aligns with the guidance contained in the Scottish Government Core Facts (as amended in November 2017). This comprises a 5-year rolling survey programme and also includes for an annual review of survey data to monitor for any changes in asset condition and building improvements carried out. 

As part of this more detailed survey programme, RAAC was identified in one of our secondary schools (Perth Grammar School) in late February 2023. Immediate safety measures were put in place and a programme of works were commissioned to safely remove all RAAC materials over the summer holiday period. All RAAC has been removed, some remaining consequential works are on-going with an anticipated completion date of end of October 2023. 

Council housing 

Our housing team has carried out a desktop assessment based on the age of the property and the house type. Based on this assessment we are confident that none of the housing stock will have been constructed from this cement. 

For further assurance contractors onsite as part of the multi-storey upgrade have also carried out a check for RAAC and none has been identified. 

New information and research 

We continually assess new information and research about RAAC to ensure the safety of our building users. Recently identified new cases of RAAC within schools in England has led to a change in approach to the assessment process for identifying RAAC.  

What are we doing now? 

We have been proactive with our approach to assessing for the presence of RAAC. We continue to review all building condition and asset information for our property estate taking into account any new information and research around RAAC. Officers from the Scottish Heads of Property network are continuing to liaise with Scottish Government on the approach to be adopted to any further inspections and assessment of the public sector estate. We will take action to follow any further advice which emerges from those discussions.