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Procurement Australia's Combustible Cladding Solution

Feeling safe In our built environment is dependent on numerous factors, some of which may be in or out of our control. Where building safety is concerned, non-compliance with safety regulations can cause more than just administrative headaches - it can result in catastrophe, potentially risking the wellbeing of employers, staff and visitors alike.

Many of our valuable Advisory partnerships focus on keeping our members and their communities safe. The latest project in our Advisory service - Comprehensive Building Code Compliance Services & Advice - is born out of recent findings and subsequent government initiatives surrounding combustible aluminium cladding that was a major culprit in severe building fires in Australia, London and Italy in recent years. As a result, building owners and administrators around the country are tasked with spending time and money to bring their structures up to current safety and building standards.

As part of our bespoke Advisory Services, we're working closely with expert building compliance consultants Adam & Associates to help our members address non-compliant combustible cladding issues in their buildings and jurisdictions. Our service and advice is designed to help time-poor members uncover and assess Instances of non-compliance or potentially catastrophic building issues, and deliver a simple, cost-effective end-to-end solution for remediation and certification.

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The Combustible Cladding Crisis

Over a span of three decades, aluminium cladding dominated the Australian property market and was used in construction projects from housing to highrises. The cladding, composed of two sheets of aluminium sandwiching a polyethylene core, was a popular choice for architects and builders alike.

Unlike its solid aluminium counterpart - which was harder and more costly to produce - the cladding was easy to manufacture, lightweight and cheap. As a series of unfortunate events would demonstrate, the cladding was also highly flammable.

Dangers of polyethylene

Polyethylene is one of the most common forms of plastic and contains carbon and hydrogen, making it extremely susceptible to fire. It catches alight quickly when exposed to flame, and drips melted, flaming material, spreading the fire to additional surfaces in minutes.

The dangers of polyethylene were discovered as far back as 1990 when Canadian researchers identified its combustibility in their report titled Fire Exposure to Exterior Walls and Flame Spread on Combustible Cladding. It was further researched in Australia in 1995 by the CSIRO, but was not formally publicised until 2000 in a Fire Code Reform Centre report. And Mitsubishi, the primary manufacturer of cladding sent to Australia, warned of the flammability of the product in the early 2000s.

Consequences of failure to address cladding issues

Despite alarming findings and prior warnings about the risks of polyethylene core panels, state and territory building regulators failed to notify construction industry professionals that they would not pass the Building Code of Australia's building requirements; and those in the industry would fail to research and review the use of such materials.

The catastrophic effects of the cladding came to light in 2014 in Melbourne, when the Lacrosse building in Docklands caught fire. A blaze that started on an eighth floor balcony spread to the 21st floor within eight minutes. Thankfully, all 450 residents were evacuated safely.

In 2017, Grenfell Tower in London was engulfed in flames after a kitchen fire on the fourth floor raced up the exterior of the building and then spread to all four sides. Aluminium cladding was found to be the major factor in the fire spreading out of control so quickly. Sadly, this incident would result in the loss of 72 lives.

State Government Regulations and Funding

Following devastating building fires connected to combustible cladding both in Melbourne and internationally, a senate committee was appointed to:

  • Investigate the use of polyethylene-core cladding in building's around Australia
  • Examine rules and regulations regarding fire safety and compliance in new and existing structures
  • Conduct audits on existing structures.

Following the senate committee findings, state governments were forced to address the issues presented.

Although these findings were applied in differing ways throughout various states and territories, the end goal was the same: to effectively detect and safely address instances of aluminium cladding in existing buildings and structures.

NSW Government Regulations

The NSW government established a Cladding Taskforce to identify buildings with potentially combustible cladding and support local councils in addressing the use of non-compliant cladding materials, To date, the Taskforce - composed of either local councils or the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (PIE) - has audited 185,000 building records and has inspected 4182. They are responsible for assessing fire safety provisions and deciding if buildings are cleared or require remediation. Government buildings are managed directly by the relevant department.

The Cladding Product Safety Panel provides expert advice to the NSW Cladding Taskforce and the Cladding Support Unit on the suitability of cladding replacement products and external wall assembly methods.

In November 2020, the NSW Government announced interest free loans as part of a $1 billion funding package over three years to help resolve the crisis in residential strata schemes. In NSW ESMs are applied by Councils

Victorian Government Regulations

The Victorian government is providing $600 million in state funds to support Owners’ Corporations of residential strata schemes. Unfortunately, there is a scarcity of resources in Victoria to address the urgent need for remediation to identify non-compliant buildings.

The Victorian Building Authority (BA) is leading the Victorian Statewide Cladding Audit on behalf of the government, supported by Cladding Safety Victoria. There is a strong connection between Local Government and the BA that ensures a consistent attitude prevails in respect of assessment and statutory controls of remediation. The BA mandated Essential Safety Measures (ESMs) are the safety features required in a building to protect occupants in the event of a fire.

How we're helping members address combustible cladding

We understand that it will take a lot of resources and expense to detect and address existing structures that have made use of aluminium cladding in their construction. However, when safety and the risk of death are so high, it is imperative for our members to act. It is also essential for members to abide by their state or territory regulations - an administrative task that can be overwhelming. Procurement Australia is here to support our members and provide access to the best services to safely detect and eradicate instances of combustible cladding in their buildings and jurisdictions.

As part of our bespoke Advisory Services, we are committed to helping our members review the safety of their structures, find professional builders, and obtain up-to-date safety certifications all in one end-to-end service.

Our partnership with Adams & Associates

Adams & Associates have worked on many significant property assignments in all eastern mainland states for over 30 years. Projects have varied in nature and ranged from medium to large undertakings with construction costs up to $100 million. Following the identification of combustible cladding materials throughout all building types in Australia, they are concerned with non-compliant materials and poor construction outcomes in all classes of buildings.

Our Procurement Australia Solution will:

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Conduct on-site assessments to provide the most comprehensive advice

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Ensure seamless delivery of even the most challenging and complex projects

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Help you design a cost-effective solution

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Engage professional builders to assess and implement your project

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Ensure you obtain final fire and safety compliance certification

At Procurement Australia we work alongside our members and follow their project journey to ensure the best results. We're empowering our members to yield safer structures and create safer environments to live, work and play in.

Safely tackle combustible cladding in your buildings and properties

Addressing instances of combustible cladding in your buildings and jurisdiction can feel like a monumental task. Through our partnership, we're providing members with the opportunity to assess their buildings and structures for the existence of aluminium cladding.

This end-to-end Comprehensive Building Code Compliance Services & Advice solution offers members:

More visibility over instances of potentially deadly combustible cladding

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A comprehensive, end-to-end approach to actively reduce their fire hazard risk

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Cost-effective solutions suited to your combustible cladding risk and exposure

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Greater power to create safer, more trusted environments for work, living and play

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Procurement Australia is proud to partner with Adams & Associates to provide safe and compliant combustible cladding solutions for all our members.

To take advantage of this all in one solution, contact one of our representatives today to discuss your circumstances and find the right solution for your organisation.

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