Which is how the building was constructed. Some of the flat entrance doors, which should be self-closing 1 hour fire doors, must have been jammed open (or the self closing mechanism damaged or removed to prvent unintentional lockouts).
Which is how the building was constructed. Some of the flat entrance doors, which should be self-closing 1 hour fire doors, must have been jammed open (or the self closing mechanism damaged or removed to prvent unintentional lockouts).
The insulation is not fireproof, it is fire resistant, but even the technical notes say once the temperature exceeds a certain value, then even the fire-resistant nature of this type of celotex will be overwhelmed.
En el artículo , Andrew escribió:
(suggestion) the stairwell had windows, which were damaged by the cladding on fire outside, like all the other windows in the building?
The stairwells will have been built on the assumption that fire would come from within the building, not from without.
Aye.
The stairwell and lift shaft are at the core of the building, with flats surrounding it ...
If the pillars are built using 7N+ blocks then there should be no need to use engineering bricks.
Breeze blocks are only commonly used in Ireland now.
In mainland UK, blocks are more likely to be medium or lightweight 'celcon' -style blocks. These need to have suitable padstones.
A column made of old-style concrete 'breeze' blocks will be strong enough not to need padstones.
Ah - all the fault of the fridge then? That will be a relief to whoever specified/fitted the cladding.
Not only the flats, but the stairwell should have fire doors to the corridors too. So two ways the smoke should have been stopped getting from the flat to the stairs.
Quite.
In the course of my work I was in many a council block, and no internal stairwell ever had windows. I don't remember ever seeing one in the hallway between stairs and flats, either.
The question still is - how did so much smoke find its way into the stairs so quickly?
ISTR that there was also the problem that the pre-fabricated panels did not fit together properly, and were bodged/adjusted on site, which compromised the structural integrity of the structure. Properly assembled, the explosion /should/ have not caused the panels to blow out and cause the progressive collapse of the corner concerned.
In message , at 00:36:00 on Fri, 23 Jun
2017, "Dave Plowman (News)" remarked:
Various reasons related to fire doors not working as designed.
nothing is foolproof ...
and if you have to pass the kitchen door escaping from a bedroom the kitchen would require an SCFD as well ........
when vetting a block of flats you consider the flat layout based on number of fire escapes....then you consider the storey layout and position of the protected zones of stair enclosures, fire lobby's etc then you make sure the position of the dry riser is correct ......
In message , at 07:59:08 on Fri, 23 Jun
2017, Jim GM4DHJ ... remarked:In the Grenfell Tower, the bedroom doors are opposite the front door, and the kitchen/diner[1] is down a corridor, with its own door (no information on closers for it, but if people could reportedly stick their head into the flat and see the kitchen on fire, maybe not).
[1] That's a change from the pre-refurbishment plans in circulation, which show a living room plus a separate galley kitchen.
That's what the new fire wardens are for, making sure the doors aren't propped open or the closers disconnected or not working.
Why any of these things would happen I will leave to Dave.
The doors are wedged open the closers are removed the doors are removed the checks are removed or intumescent strips are removed ....
It won't be long before the fire wardens get abused for trying to ensure the doors aren't propped open.
well then the design must have the escape route away from the kitchen area with a fire door on the living room into the private lobby then ....
It will contribute to the available fuel load if there is enough hot flame played on it but it doesn't continue to burn on its own. It may well have been in a strong updraft of hot air too which will make the surface char burn away hotter and quicker. There was plenty of unburnt surface charred Celotex on the building and on the ground afterwards.
Do you know which? I had some new windows put in recently - not exactly major I know, but it is a conservation area, and did involve a bay. The firm self-certified (I think that's the phrase they used) as a council approved contractor.
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