Reader Response (Draft 3)

Use of Cladding in Buildings Here Have Grown in Recent Times: Reader Response

In the article “Use of Cladding in Buildings Here Have Grown in Recent Times”, Mokhtar (2017) reports the increasing use of cladding in Singapore and its benefits and risks. Cladding, a layer of panels added to the facade of buildings, is gaining popularity as it can cut energy use, improve building appearance or provide shade. The use of cladding, however, is being scrutinized after the fatal Grenfell Tower fire tragedy. The ventilation gaps between the cladding and the building’s walls cause fire to spread upwards rapidly, drawing fresh air from the bottom of the facade and fuelling the fire. In Singapore, use of cladding is regulated. For example, the article states that cladding material must not allow fire to spread along its surface when ignited, known as the Class '0' standard. It also reports that besides meeting statutory regulations, a building owner has included fire stops to prevent fire spread and regular certification of fire protection systems. Cladding is useful, but its associated risks need to be mitigated. Cladding used must meet applicable safety standards and certified practices to minimize fire risk.

It is important to use cladding that comply with fire safety requirements. The Building Research Establishment, on behalf of the British government, conducted a fire safety test using a replica of the Grenfell Tower cladding system. Although vertical and horizontal fire stops were included, the cladding system comprising "aluminium panels with a combustible polyethylene plastic core and combustible PIR plastic foam insulation" still burnt (Mairs, 2017). The test proved that the cladding did not meet regulatory guidelines and would not have been used if it has been tested.

Singapore also has cladding that does not meet standards. On 4 May 2017, a life was lost in a fire confined mainly to the facade of an industrial building. Subsequently, Minister for Home Affairs, Mr K. Shanmugam, revealed that, as of 8 September 2017, cladding of 15 buildings does not meet the Class '0' standard (Ministry of Home Affairs, 2017). Preliminary investigations pointed to the sole supplier of the panels used. Two models of panels were mixed together during storage; one model meets the Class '0' standard while the other does not. Mr K. Shanmugam said that the model that does not meet standard "may have, at times, been supplied for use on external walls". He added that, panels that supposedly met the standard were found to be "not of uniform quality; some met the standard, but others did not". He explained that sampling method is used as it is not possible to subject all panels to the destructive test. Ong (2017), citing Singapore Civil Defence Force, reports that cladding is required to be tested yearly.

Our current fire safety practices need to and can be improved to better ensure cladding used meet standards. Firstly, besides ensuring cladding meet standards, the certification process has to ensure different cladding models can be identified easily with proper handling procedures implemented to prevent mix up. Secondly, sampling tests need to be stricter with tests conducted by production batch instead of yearly to better ensure the quality of cladding. Lastly, on-site inspections can be more thorough to lower the risk of incorrect cladding being installed. With all these changes, the quality of cladding used is better ensured.

The dire consequences of using sub-standard cladding are evident from the two tragedies. The UK fire showed the inadequacy of relying solely on the stipulation of stringent standards; preventative measures can also do little when sub-standard cladding is used. Quality assurance of cladding is crucial to minimize fire risk.

References

Mairs, J. (2017, July 28). Fire safety test shows Grenfell Tower's cladding system was "an absolute failure". Retrieved from https://www.dezeen.com/2017/07/28/grenfell-tower-aluminium-cosposite-cladding-amc-passes-bre-fire-safety-test-news/

Ministry of Home Affairs. (2017, 11 September). Oral Reply to Parliamentary Questions on Cladding by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law. (2017, September 24). Retrieved from https://www.mha.gov.sg/Newsroom/in-parliament/oral-replies-to-pqs/Pages/Oral-Reply-to-Parliamentary-Questions-on-Cladding.aspx

Mokhtar, F. (2017, June 17). Use of Cladding in Buildings Here Have Grown in Recent Times. Retrieved from http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/use-cladding-buildings-here-have-grown-recent-times-experts

Ng, J. S. (2017, September 5). Outer Cladding of 24 buildings fails checks. Retrieved from http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/housing/outer-cladding-of-24-buildings-fails-checks

Ong, J. (2017, June 28). Guarding against a Grenfell-like disaster in Singapore. Retrieved from http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/guarding-against-a-grenfell-like-disaster-in-singapore-8985482