RAAC – Latest news and guidance
Fri, 04/11/2025 - 16:22
More instances of RAAC - Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete – in public buildings are being reported:
- Staff at The Dolphin Centre in Poole, Dorset have been removed due to safety fears after unstable concrete was found in part of the roof above the Hub. Poole Library on the floor below remains open, but the upper floor of Poole Hub is now closed until further notice.
The Dolphin Centre, originally known as the Arndale Centre, first opened in 1969 and was refurbished in the 1980s.
- Meanwhile, the University of Sussex is seeking to remove RAAC panels from its Arts A building, which structural engineers say are at "critical risk of brittle failure".
The Grade II listed building, designed by Sir Basil Spence, was constructed between 1962 and 1966.
- And two Tyneside primary schools embroiled in the national crisis over potentially dangerous concrete should have new buildings by 2028.
The Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust has confirmed plans for a redevelopment at both St Columba’s Catholic Primary School, in Wallsend, and St John Vianney, in West Denton. Both schools had to be closed in summer 2023, amid safety concerns following the discovery of RAAC.
Sources of advice if you suspect RAAC may be present in a building include:
- The Institution of Structural Engineers information on Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) provides authoritative guidance on RAAC.
- https://www.hse.gov.uk/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete/manage-risk.htm
- The CROSS-UK safety alert, Failure of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) planks is available on cross-safety.org.