A block of flats in Aberdeen is the first in Scotland to have dangerous cladding removed and replaced as part of a government pilot scheme set up following the Grenfell tragedy.
Extensive construction work was carried out on the nine-storey building to ensure it meets strict fire regulations. The Aurora Apartments are one of several ‘high priority’ buildings identified in the Scottish Government’s pilot programme on cladding remediation as part of the Single Building Assessment.
A survey of the building, which included laser scanning with a drone, was carried out followed by construction works costing £600,000.
Existing wall cladding and insulation materials, both of which were combustible, were removed and replaced with fire-safe non-combustible products to eliminate the risk of fire spreading over the outside of the building.
The work was carried out while the residents in the 22 flats remained in their homes.
Following the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017, the Scottish Parliament passed legislation that banned the use of combustible materials on the outside of all new residential and other ‘high-risk’ buildings taller than 11m (36ft).
The new legislation also applies to re-cladding works on some other buildings, including the Aurora Apartments.
The work was funded by the Scottish Government and managed by Diamond & Company (Scotland) Ltd Chartered Building Surveyors and Chartered Fire Engineers.
MD Phil Diamond said, “The Grenfell fire exposed a systemic failure in all aspects of cladding installation in buildings throughout the UK. The completion of the work on the Aurora apartments in Aberdeen now provides an industry blueprint on how to make similar high-rise buildings much less vulnerable in the event of a fire.
“The residents in the Aurora apartments should sleep soundly at night now, knowing their building is much safer. The new non-combustible cladding is the highest standard on the market, stopping any fire from spreading over the outside of the building.
“If there was a serious fire in one of the flats it would not be able to spread over the outside of the building because the cladding is non-combustible, meaning there is no energy for the fire to feed off. It was an extremely challenging project which involved opening up the building and removing the timber support frame and other combustible materials.
“We used a drone with laser scanning to survey the building, and surrounding area, to help us produce detailed architectural drawings to plan the work required to make the block of flats safer. We are now moving ahead with similar projects across Scotland and the rest of the UK and look forward to the completion of other remediation works in the coming years.”
Housing minister Paul McLennan added, “This is a very important moment for owners and residents and I was pleased to visit Aurora Apartments earlier this month to meet with those involved. The Scottish Government has provided £600,000 funding for the complex and innovative work at this building. The remedial work that has been carried out at this site builds on the recent passage of the Cladding Remediation Act which will support our efforts to make buildings safer and to safeguard homeowners and residents across Scotland.”
The construction work was carried out by North East Contracts in Arbroath. MD Jacqueline Hacking stated, “This was an extremely complex job which involved not only the removal of the outside wall cladding but the replacement of internal materials. We had to strip the building right back to ensure all internal combustible materials were removed. This also included the replacement of the timber decking on balconies with fire-rated aluminium decking.
“However, thanks to the tremendous cooperation and support of the residents the project was successfully completed. Those in the building can now live in comfort, knowing that the Aurora Apartments meet the new fire regulations launched following the fire at Grenfell Tower.”
The developer of the building ceased trading a number of years ago, so Trinity Factors acted on behalf of the residents.
Paula Roberts, Aberdeen branch manager, added, “Residents were understandably concerned when the survey work revealed the extent of the combustible materials on the outside and inside of the building. We also had the added complication that the developer of the building ceased trading several years ago, so it was a relief when the Aurora Apartments were included in the Scottish Government’s pilot programme. This provided the residents with some certainty and confirmation that the work would be paid for by the government.”
