Restriction was introduced a year ago in response to Grenfell disaster
The government鈥檚 ban on using combustible materials in external walls of high-rise residential towers could stymie the use of innovative products such as photovoltaic panels and green walls, according to a leading designer.
The ban was introduced a year ago in response to the Grenfell disaster in 2017 in which 72 people lost their lives.
But Rob Buck (pictured), fa莽ade design associate at Arup, told last month鈥檚 好色先生TV Live panel debate on fa莽ade safety that the current testing regime was limited in scope and failed to consider how a particular product was going to be used.
Buck said he feared the blocking of materials such as photovoltaics 鈥渂ecause they use laminated glass within the spandrel panel, and green facades, since they are in effect combustible products鈥�.
He wanted to see a risk-based approach 鈥渂ased on sound fire engineering knowledge.
鈥淎nd if that means we need to develop more understanding and more testing, then that鈥檚 where we should go,鈥� Buck added.
Buck warned the current analysis regime for fa莽ades was limited. 鈥淭he BS 8414 test [which assesses the fire performance of an external cladding system] is tied specifically with rain-screen products and there鈥檚 a debate in the industry whether that is applicable.
鈥淚 think there is a test that we should be able to employ to allow us to further learn about fa莽ades working in fire,鈥� he said.
Another speaker told the gathering in London that government restrictions would lead materials manufacturers to be more innovative.
Russell Curtis, founding director of architect RCKa, said some manufacturers of cross-laminated timber were already looking at non-combustible versions of their product.
鈥淭hey have to. It鈥檚 an existential problem. If you鈥檙e a CLT manufacturer you can鈥檛 sell your product to anyone who鈥檚 building reasonably tall buildings.
鈥淥ut of this there will be innovation around fa莽ade solutions and materials that will be positive, but it will take time.鈥�
Fears around the use of timber in residential buildings have flared up in recent months following fires at low-rise developments in Barking, east London, and Worcester Park, south-west London.
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