Reader's Response (1st Draft)

Use of cladding has increased recently, despite being under strict observation after the tragic incident of Grenfell Tower. The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is gathering more information on the event to improve on their rules regulating the use of cladding.

Cladding has its many uses; from noise reduction to purely for aesthetic purposes. It provides insulation to reduce the energy needed to cool down or keep cool a building. Buildings such as Asia Square Tower and The Cathay use cladding for these reasons.

However, cladding poses a hazard when it comes to fire, often allowing the fire to spread. Ventilation gaps that help to provide fresh air end up allowing the fire to go up to other levels by providing it with more oxygen. Nonetheless, Singapore still adopts the use of cladding but follow strict safety standards on the materials used to meet the class ‘0’ standard.

I agree to a certain extent that cladding can be a fire hazard. However, I believe that by following the requirements defined in the Singapore Fire Code strictly, the risk of fire caused by cladding can be reduced.

According to the Singapore Fire Code, to indicate the speed at which fire can spread, materials are classified under five classes, from 0 to 4. Materials meeting the class ‘0’ standards mean that in the case of a fire, the flames will not escalate along the surface of the material. In order to meet the requirements in the Singapore Fire Code, construction companies will specifically purchase materials that meet the class ‘0’ standard from a supplier. However, there may be instances when the materials that the company received are not of the same model that they had ordered, thus not meeting the class ‘0’ standards.

 For example, according to Singapore Civil Defence Force (2017), 40 buildings in Singapore are using external claddings that might not meet the class ‘0’ standards. They had all used composite panels from American brand Alubond purchased through the local supplier, Chip Soon Aluminium, Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) mentioned. They also stated that the supplier had confused the safety classification of two models of materials, and stocks of the class ‘0’ and class ‘1’ materials were mixed up at the supplier’s warehouse. These materials were then delivered to the construction companies and were used for the external claddings, resulting in the claddings not meeting the class ‘0’ standards.

The loophole present in the process of purchasing and receiving the cladding materials may result in the cladding being a fire hazard, even though the construction companies had adhered strictly to the requirements of the Singapore Fire Code.

To prevent this loophole, the construction companies can consider hiring their own qualified personnel to check on the class of the materials received before constructing the cladding. This will ensure that the material of the correct class standard is being used. If the wrong material is received, it can be identified in this stage and highlighted to the supplier.

The initial classification of the class of the materials goes through a long process conducted by different personnel. By following the standard of procedures required and upholding integrity, it will help to avoid mistakes in the classification of the material. The suppliers also have to be alert to prevent mixing up the different model of materials. If all parties work well to conduct necessary actions to follow the standards defined in the Singapore Fire Code strictly, the risk of fire caused by cladding can be reduced.

Reference:

Loh, C. J. (2017, August 24). 36 buildings may have combustible cladding that doesn't meet safety standards; police investigating. Retrieved September 27, 2017, from Channel Newsasia Website: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/36-buildings-may-have-combustible-cladding-that-doesn-t-meet-9153588

Mokhtar, F. (2017, June 17). Use of cladding in buildings here have grown in recent times: Experts. Retrieved September 14, 2017, from Today Online Website: http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/use-cladding-buildings-here-have-grown-recent-times-experts

Ng, J. S. (2017, August 24). 36 buildings may have combustible cladding that do not meet safety rules; police report lodged. Retrieved September 27, 2017, from The Straits Times Website: http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/housing/36-buildings-may-have-combustible-cladding-police-report-lodged

Ng, J. S. (2017, August 25). How did cladding woes happen despite layers of checks? Retrieved September 27, 2017, from The Straits Times Website: http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/distributor-placed-two-models-of-cladding-in-one-stock

Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). (2017, August 24). SCDF Press Release 24 Aug 2017. Retrieved September 27, 2017, from Singapore Civil Defence Force Website: https://www.scdf.gov.sg/sites/www.scdf.gov.sg/files/SCDF_Press_Release-24_Aug_2017.pdf

The Straits Times. (2017, August 24). Distributor of cladding material expresses 'shock' at SCDF's flammability test results; says cooperating with authorities. Retrieved September 27, 2017, from The Straits Times Website: http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/distributor-of-flammable-cladding-material-expresses-shock-at-scdf-test-results-says-it-is