The crumbly concrete problem

I think one of the facts I learnt (from the BBC I think) is that when rebar rusts in conventional concrete it causes visible spalling on the surface, whereas with RAAC, the expansion caused by the rust just compresses and crushes the aero surrounding it so is completely hidden externally.

Ian P

Another ‘crisis’ pedalled by the media……just more smoke and mirrors.

You make a good point about ‘the media: Alan …

Jeremy Hunt gave a calm and measured performance when interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg yesterday morning, but then the reporting by the Independent last evening sensationalised it.

MichaelG.

Geeee, wish someone had told me my house was/should have been demolished one hundred years before I bought it fifty years ago.

Regards Ian

+1

Anybody approving construction with a design life of only 30 years should be strung up - unless the building was a farm building or temporary building. But something like a school or a hospital, where the colossal disruption and cost of rehousing all the inhabitants; pulling the old building down and constucting a new one in its place......

....it just beggars belief that anyone would think it was a good idea.

There is a school that I know of - which when built won alsorts of awards. Modern construction methods and lots of glass ! To look pretty instead of I beam, channel was used and then on the top face angle was attached to allow a brick panel to be built, some 25' X 8' ! The bolt heads would spoil the look, so studs were welded in ( ground flat) and nuts on the inside. Time passed, about 25 years ! Corrosion took place between the angle and channel and the corrosive pressure pulled the welded studs out ! The brick panel fell 10' or more to the ground (with the angle iron) ! The steelwork for this particular panel was replaced and welded all round, but the rest of the school ? Noel.

Edited By noel shelley on 04/09/2023 14:45:14

I always believed that the local councils were responsible for the siting, building, inspection and maintenance of schools and other public buildings. Not the government.

I think the only person who has mentioned government is me, and I didn't specify local or Westminster. If the problem was brought to Westminster's attention and it wasn't their responsibility they should have made sure that local govt did something about it, and ensured that they did.

Edited By duncan webster on 04/09/2023 18:05:51

Where I was working in about '85 the grade 2 listed Victorian house was demolished to be replaced with a modern block in fancy brick and concrete needing lots of 50ft piles into the clay. They left the two WW2 single storey 'temporary' hospital buildings. Two other big concrete panel factory buildings went up the next year, one custom built for housing a multimillion pound specialist test facility. Soon after I left in 2000 the company moved out and it was replaced with a housing estate. All that heavy duty concrete barely used for 15 years so why bother.

About ten years ago I bought a three year old car. I reckoned it would last me about ten years and I calculated likely yearly maintenance costs and the cost of replacing when it became uneconomic to repair. I set aside a ring-fenced monthly amount. When it goes in for the MOT tomorrow I'll have funds either to repair or replace if it fails.

I'm going to be nervously awaiting my nomination for the Nobel prize in Economics now!

Robin

Interesting observations by Terry B, Duncan Webster regarding responsibility for the erection and subsequent maintenance of the buildings and government. I made this point on this very forum yesterday and added that "people should stop blaming governments of either hue". Well seeing Duncans comment I looked at my posting and for some unexplained reason and without advising or consulting me somebody has edited my comments out!!!!! Censorship? Really?

In the war we'd just pack a column of loose house bricks under the beam and get on with it

Well not quite bricks, Acrow props. Queen Elizabeth hospital in King's Lynn has 4394 props according to the BBC

And by not building any new schools or hospitals for 30 years we will hugely improve our carbon footprint

mud and wattle are the future

Edited By Ady1 on 04/09/2023 23:47:46

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It happens … The first An earlier thread on this topic, in which I posted a link to the [technical] Loughborough reporting was “disappeared” entirely.

MichaelG.

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[edited to correct my unproven supposition]

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 05/09/2023 04:38:27

Yes deleted as the first post mentioned polititians twice and tax payers once.

Several other posts in this thread that wander from the technical side also deleted completely including Howards, Mike was lucky and only got an edit.

Moderators are giving up a lot of their time at the moment trying to get the new forum usable and don't need to be wasting time here watching yet another tea room topic drift into Government /politics. Not wasting more time going through the last few posts since I last looked in so will lock it as people can't seem to stick to what they are asked to do.