RAAC Management & Building Services
RAAC Plank Surveys
USP Group continues to support projects across the UK where the identification and ongoing surveys of RAAC planks is required. RAAC stands for Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete is a material that was used in the construction of schools, hospitals and other public sector buildings between the mid 1960s and mid 1980s
Due to the physical properties of RAAC being less than traditional concrete this may have caused issues with the structural integrity of the roofs it has been used in. Following a couple of alerts including a roof collapse, owners are now needed to carry out assessments of their own buildings and assets to understand whether RAAC is present.
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As well as industry guidance from Standing Committee on Structural Safety (SCOSS) and the Department for Education, we have published a technical article explaining RAAC planks in more detail. The technical article can be found by clicking here.
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USP Group is available to support you at the very start of this process. We have a dedicated RAAC plank investigation team who can visit your site at the earliest possible opportunity and provide an initial assessment as to the presence of RAAC planks. Alongside this we will complete a full technical site report which will contain our recommendations for the next stage.
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If RAAC planks are identified and there are signs of spalling and/or deformation occurring, we can attend site and provide survey data for every accessible plank, to enable a remediation programme to be put in place.
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Our team of survey specialists and chartered engineers will provide the data in accordance with the Standing Committee on Structural Safety (SCOSS) recommendations. The data can be issued in a format to suit individual client requirements, generally a combination of AutoCAD dwg, PDF and Excel formats.
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To prevent a future recurrence, we can also set up a maintenance and monitoring programme where we can revisit your site on a regular basis to deliver ongoing data and analysis, flagging up any new deformation that may have arisen since the original survey.
Further reading that may be of interest includes…
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Further reading that may be of interest includes…
Standing Committee On Structural Safety – May 2019 alert
Department for Education RAAC Guidance – February 2021
The Institution of Structural Engineers Guidance – March 2022
Office of Government Property – RAAC Safety Briefing Note – November 2022
Building Surveying Services
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