RAAC Panels made safe with RAAC-Lift®

RCS completed a rigorous but rapid RAAC Options Appraisal on this commercial building. RAAC-Lift® was chosen as the best fit and value-for-money solution.

Client situation

• The client building, a commercial vehicle maintenance site previously owned by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), was suspected to contain RAAC.
• The presence of RAAC was determined during the RCS survey, and its structural condition was assessed by RCS’ lead structural engineer (a Fellow of the Institution of Structural Engineers).
• It was determined that the RAAC panels, particularly those in a high-traffic area, were in need of immediate remediation.

Sector:
Industrial

Services provided:
RAAC Options Appraisal
RAAC-Lift®

Location:
NW England

“The speed and efficiency of the implementation was astonishing. We thought we’d have to close the site for months”

RAAC Approach

• RCS worked with key client stakeholders to complete a rigorous but rapid Options Appraisal*, considering a range of approaches including conventional and also novel methods.
• The appraisal gave consideration to a number of criteria, including panel condition, site constraints and key stakeholder priorities.
• Having been presented with two options, the client concluded that RAAC-Lift®* represented the best fit and best value-for-money solution, for their particular circumstances.

*RCS’ Options Appraisal and RAAC Lift® solution are featured in a recently published government-sponsored RAAC Playbook.

Outcome

• The end-to-end programme was completed within three weeks, demonstrating the speed at which the RAAC-Lift® solution can be implemented while delivering long-term structural integrity.
• Furthermore, the total programme cost was 25% lower than a comparable conventional approach.
• In parallel, updated M&E fittings were installed, alongside a new suspended ceiling and energy-efficient LED lighting arrangements, all of which were funded from the programme cost savings.