Despite the fact that mass timber testing has consistently shown that the material performs better than required in fire and structural situations, the government of the United Kingdom is considering imposing new height limitations for mass timber structures in the aftermath of the Grenfell tragedy.
The BBC reports that UK government officials are considering new regulations that would cap the height of these structures at 11 meters, or roughly three to four stories. Application of the mass timber technologies would still be allowed "in floors," BBC reports, but not along exterior walls. In most other countries that allow mass timber construction, structures are allowed to rise six stories or more.
The proposal has been initiated, according to reports, in an effort to limit the potential for the spread of fire along exterior cladding as occurred in the Grenfell fire when an insulation layer situated within the concrete tower's composite aluminum cladding caught fire, allowing flames to spread vertically along the exterior of the building.
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This is bullshit. Grenfell was chemical insulation and metal that burned, so to prevent that kind of tragedy they're going to limit the use of wood? Bullshit.
You know what makes buildings safer? Not building them to the lowest bid.
it's probably all lobbying
Jesus, will you shut up about shit that is easily found through basic search methods?
"What caused the fire to happen in the first place, for it to spread so quickly, and for so many people to die? Was it a faulty electrical appliance? Was it a poorly funded fire service? Was it the flammable cladding that surrounded the building?
Or was it years of deregulation? Was it a complacent local and national political class? Was it the systematic dehumanisation of social housing tenants?
The answer is that it was all of these things and more. Grenfell happened because of decisions made by individuals and because of a certain political culture."
Read
And this fire, at my architecture faculty in Delft in '08 started because of a leaking coffee machine:
so they should ban architecture and coffee, obviously...
What the hell? This is crazy, a definitive stance of posturing for the sake of creating the illusion of a response. I fully agree with Donna - stop building council housing in the UK to the lowest bidder who cuts corners. Wood construction is totally unrelated.
Does that mean they'll cut all trees at 11m too?
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