The UK Building Research Establishment to develop screening tests for aluminium cladding

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) in the UK has asked the Building Research Establishment (BRE) to design a series of screening tests to determine the type of aluminium cladding to be used in the country’s upcoming housing projects. The tests will ensure whether the core of the aluminium composite material sample provided has fire retardant properties.

The UK civic and building authorities have upped their vigilance on the use of aluminium composite materials in cladding ever since the Grenfell Tower fire incident happened. They are simultaneously trying to educate people on aluminium composite panels which they say are otherwise a versatile building material provided the core has approved fire retardant properties.

To ensure a building with aluminium cladding is fire-safe, people should also take a number of other factors into consideration. 

A spokeswoman of the BRE said, “There would have to be a number of fire safety failures in a building, such as the lack of a fire break or using combustible insulation materials. That is not the case in our tower blocks.”

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Commenting on the purpose of screening tests assigned to BRE, DCLG spokesperson said large-scale tests will help establish how different types of aluminium composite panels behave in fire, in combination with different types of insulation.

“The results of these tests will help landlords make decisions on any further measures that may need to be put in place to make their buildings safe,” the spokesperson added.