1 week Ago
Sussex University has been given permission to replace dangerous concrete in a one of the eight original buildings on its Falmer campus. Brighton and Hove City Council has granted listed building consent to replace the crumbling RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) in Arts Building A. The university commissioned a survey of 27 buildings three years ago and found RAAC in seven of them.
The council gave permission for RAAC panels to be replaced in the grade II* listed Arts Building A which went up in the 1960s and where the problems have also included leaks. The concrete panels will be removed from the first-floor office, corridors and balcony and replaced with a new timber floor, glazed panel and zinc roof to the balcony. The Falmer campus includes several brutalist concrete buildings designed by the architect Sir Basil Spence and constructed in the 1960s and 70s.
The use of RAAC was widespread at the time because it made concrete panels lighter but it has a 30-year lifespan. This has left seven Sussex University buildings at risk – Arts A, Arundel, Bramber, Chichester I, Chichester II, Falmer House and the John Maynard Smith building. The university submitted a report to the council, prepared by planning consultants Parker Dann.
It said: “The RAAC panels found within the office (room A172) and the adjacent corridor were identified as ‘critical risk’ and ‘high risk’ respectively with the panels found to have water staining, along with indications of potential fungal growth and to be in poor condition which raises concern regarding the structural integrity of the RAAC panels. “The further survey in April 2024 identified water ingress and evidence of multiple localised failings of the RAAC panels. “On the recommendations of the report, office A172 has been taken out of use.
“The report notes that due to the nature of the aerated concrete, the concrete itself deteriorates due to continuous exposure to moisture. “This results in leaching of its structure, cracking and loss of structural integrity. “It concludes that the RAAC planks are past the end of their viable life and pose a risk of brittle failure when traversed.
“It recommends the introduction of a supporting structural frame, replacing the RAAC panels within the floor construction entirely and identification of the source of moisture and taking appropriate action accordingly, prior to irreversible damage.” Sussex University is replacing RAAC across the campus, with the first phase starting in April last year at Bramber House. RAAC roof panels were removed from the multi-purpose student hub and replaced with timber and ply insulated roofing.
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