Fire Hazards in Tall Residential and Commercial Buildings

Rapid urbanization has led to a high demand for tall building structures around the world. However, this trend has brought significant problems, particularly the use of non-standard and poor-quality building materials. We have witnessed several fire disasters in major cities, such as the Address Tower fire in Dubai on New Year’s Eve 2015 and the Grenfell Tower fire in London in 2017, which tragically claimed 72 lives. Similar incidents have occurred in Singapore, Spain, and many other countries. In most cases, the rapid spread of these fires was exacerbated by the use of dangerous cladding materials on buildings. Cladding materials with a polyethylene (PE) core are particularly hazardous, with experts equating 1 square meter to 4 liters of petrol in terms of flammability. The United Kingdom banned the use of this material in 2017, followed by Dubai and Singapore. Unfortunately, many poorer nations continue to use this dangerous material on their buildings, posing a significant risk to safety.

The image above shows the state of Grenfell tower before and after the fire.

Policymakers, the design and engineering community, and industry stakeholders must address the growing use of dangerous non-fire-retardant materials and the increasing number of fire disasters. Stricter standards and policies are essential to ensure that human safety and sustainability remain central to building design.

In particular, building facades, especially metallic cladding, have undergone significant regulatory changes in the UK and UAE. These countries have banned any cladding material with a Euro class rating below A2 on tall buildings. Numerous solid aluminum, copper, zinc, and aluminum composite cladding options are now available in A2 and Euro class A1 non-combustible materials.

In 2020, a major breakthrough was achieved with ACM materials attaining the A1 standard, a milestone exclusive to just two companies globally. One of these companies, ALUCOPANEL, manufactures its product in Dubai and supplies it in Sri Lanka through Wallspan Facade. Furthermore, rigorous fire performance system tests like BS 8414 and NFPA 285 ensure that entire facade systems meet industry standards. ALUCOPANEL by Wallspan offers A1 and A2 class materials that have successfully passed the NFPA 285 standard and BS 8414 test for A2 materials, solidifying its reputation as one of the leading manufacturers of world-class ACM materials.

Akurana Commercial building Fire July 2024

Sri Lanka has experienced several fire disasters in recent years, including incidents in commercial buildings in Colombo. In July 2024, a fire broke out in a low-height commercial building in Akurana. When a fire starts, it can rapidly spread to the rest of the building through dangerous cladding materials, as evidenced by the Akurana incident. Fortunately, there was no loss of life, but the economic impact was enormous, leaving many families without their livelihoods. This highlights the perils of prioritising profit over human safety, a trend observed in fire disasters in Dubai, London, and other major cities worldwide. Unfortunately, many building owners and tenants remain unaware of the dangers posed by certain cladding materials. Authorities must regulate the industry to prevent such catastrophes and the resulting economic losses and livelihood disruptions.

Customers also have a responsibility to the environment and society. They should always choose and request materials that meet quality, safety, and environmentally friendly standards, thereby reducing the risks to all stakeholders. While this may seem costly in the short term, it is an investment in the long term due to the guaranteed safety of the building.

As a regional façade solution provider, Wallspan offers high-quality products that have been tested, trusted, and used in many iconic projects. Since aluminum composite materials (ACM) are among the most commonly used façade systems in Sri Lanka, we ensure that we provide the best quality materials to the design community, which prioritises both safety and aesthetic quality.