Thorough safety review of London Bridge Tower to improve structural strength and evacuation procedures.
The developer of the proposed London Bridge Tower has ordered a safety review in the wake of the US terror attacks.

The review of the design of the building, which would be the tallest in Europe, is likely to focus on improving evacuation procedures and changes to the structure so that it could withstand major explosions.

The tower's developer, Irvine Sellar, has ordered the review at a time when the industry is rethinking building design in the light of the US terror attacks. The review will look at how skyscrapers are evacuated in emergencies, whether steps should be taken to avoid the sort of progressive collapse that occurred at the World Trade Centre and how firefighters could receive better protection when responding to an emergency.

Hamish McKenzie, team leader of London Bridge Tower's project manager Bovis Lend Lease, said the review would examine how to make the tower more flexible, so the emergency services could respond to a greater range of situations.

He said: "We've now got the option of addressing the lessons from the USA. If the lesson is that a building must stay standing for longer [when badly damaged], then it will have to do that."

The structural design of the London Bridge Tower, which is planned to be 66 storeys, is still on the drawing board but one likely result of the review is that the steel work will be encased to offer the structure greater protection.

McKenzie said: "Lightweight steelwork is great in a normal fire, but does not stand up to the impact of an aeroplane. We will have to look very carefully at encasing it."

The tower is also likely to be built with wider staircases than originally planned to ease evacuation if the lifts are out of action, as occurred at the World Trade Centre.

But McKenzie emphasised that speed of response of the building's management would be crucial in any emergency. He said: "The first thing to do is to assess the building management reaction to an event 鈥� we've now got to put together a regime that lets you say 'get out'. The days of hitting the alarm bell and escaping in a set way are over."

McKenzie conceded that the safety changes are likely to make the building more costly. He said: "The more you add to a building the more it will cost 鈥� construction costs are likely to go up in all new buildings."

The terrorist atrocities have led to press reports that London Bridge Tower may be delayed or even scrapped. But McKenzie said the project is on course for 2006. He said: "If you want something to come out of these attacks, we've got to ride new safety measures on the back of real schemes."

The main bulk of the analysis in the review is expected to be compiled in the next 12-18 months There has been speculation that Renzo Piano, the tower's architect, could pull out of the scheme but London mayor Ken Livingstone is holding talks with Southwark council over a deal that will tie him to the scheme if and when planning is approved. Developer Irvine Sellar has committed himself to keeping the Italian architect on board.