September 1 2023

An urgent audit of Scotland's schools is underway this weekend as ministers scramble to get a handle on the scale of potential collapse-risk concrete in use across the estate.

Thus far councils have identified 35 schools which make use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), the material at the centre of a safety scare south of the border.

The lightweight alternative to reinforced concrete was in widespread use from the 1950s to the 1990s and is distinguished by tiny air bubbles. Should water penetrate these weaknesses it can reach the rebar within, destroying the metal over time.

Colin Tait, civil and structural director at Harley Haddow, said: “It is surprising that this has suddenly become an issue, as the failure mechanisms of RAAC panels have long been discussed and on the radar of structural engineers.

“There are many reasons why these planks fail. Overloading, poor or limited plank support, excessive deflection and water ingress to name a few. Some of these flaws are down to poor design, poor construction, or simply down to poor maintenance. Cracking to the plank, particularly near its support and water ingress – whereby it turns the concrete, in essence, to a ‘sponge’ – were felt particularly worrying. Hidden behind false ceilings, collapse of these planks could be without warning and devastating."

Responding to these fears a potentially weakened wall at the private Queen Victoria School in Dunblane has been propped up pending closer inspection.

Other schools confirmed to have employed RAAC in their construction include Trinity Primary in Edinburgh, Forres Academy in Moray and Preston Lodge High in East Lothian. 

4 Comments

#1 Posted by Auntie Nairn on 1 Sep 2023 at 23:09 PM

I'm not sure that naming the affected schools with RAAC does anything other than spread panic via the uninformed who will demand unaffordable solutions.
The local authorities have known of the issues for years and have appropriate inspection regimes in place.

#2 Posted by Nairn's Bairn on 3 Sep 2023 at 17:49 PM

It's interesting that this product (and its potential failings) only seems to be referred to in the context of schools.

Was it generally used by government to quickly accommodate the post-war boom in education requirements? Or it is just that education buildings are those inspected most regularly?

#3 Posted by Graeme Mccormick on 4 Sep 2023 at 12:20 PM

Just to clarify, Queen Victoria School is not private. It’s run by the MOD for the children of defence services personnel.

#4 Posted by Uninformed on 4 Sep 2023 at 15:41 PM

Im aware of RAAC slabs being present in a wide range of buildings across Scotland. From local authority offices, to airports, to hospitals and almost any other 'public' type building you can think of.

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