Were you aware that apartment buildings can be unsafe for its occupants if certain materials are used on its facade or cladding?
If you are in Sydney or Greater New South Wales, you are bound by the Building Code of Australia to get your building’s cladding assessed for combustible materials. The matter is of utmost urgency as lives are at risk.
At Endeavour Engineering, our skilled engineers can investigate your facade and cladding to ensure that your building is not containing combustible material that can worsen a fire emergency.
Let us take you through the nuances of this topic to help you understand the laws and the issues related to cladding better.
Cladding Explained
If you live within an apartment building, it likely has an outer layer to help with its thermal efficiency, weather resistance, waterproofing, or appearance. This skin is called cladding, and it can be made of various materials like bricks and metal.
Note that a building’s cladding is not load-bearing or integral to the building’s structure.
However, defective, improperly installed, or non-compliant cladding can be a fire hazard.
What We Look for During a Cladding Assessment
At Endeavour Engineering, we follow NSW’s cladding assessment regulations very closely in our investigations. We will identify the cladding material, the application system, and the location of the cladding to look for external combustible cladding that involves the following:
- Certain Metal Composite Panels (MCP), like ACP, with more than 30% of PE core
- Insulated Cladding Systems (ICS) that involve foam or similar materials attached to structural components and sealed, rendered, and painted
- Our inspection also focuses on identifying any fire risk associated with the external wall cladding and recommends necessary safety measures for rectification
Why You Would Need a Cladding Risk Assessment in Sydney and Greater New South Wales
After Melbourne’s Lacrosse Building caught fire in 2014 and London’s Grenfell Tower caught fire in 2017, NSW government have set new laws in place regarding cladding due to safety concerns.
For apartment buildings constructed prior to 2017, it is possible their cladding may be combustible and the NSW government states that if you find the cladding to be combustible that it needs to be submitted onto the cladding registration portal to be rectified.
Although years have passed, not all buildings with these dangerous materials have been identified, putting lives at great risk.
All buildings covered with cladding require an independent expert investigation to ensure safe materials. Get an assessment through Endeavour Engineering to stay compliant with the law and ensure your building’s occupants and your property’s structure is protected.
Our Cladding Assessment Process
1. Contact Our Team
Send our team an email ([email protected]) with a brief outline of the details of your property and cladding concerns. Our experts will then email you back a free fee proposal.
2. Cladding Inspection
Once the fee proposal is accepted, our expert engineers will organise an inspection time with you to investigate the cladding.
3. Report
Our experts will then prepare their findings into a report including the location, description, cause, photographs and their expert advice for remedial solutions.
Book In a Cladding Assessment With Endeavour Engineering
Ensure the safety of the building you live in and request a cladding assessment to ensure it complies with state laws and regulations.
At Endeavour Engineering, we use state-of-the-art technology to conduct tests and determine if a building is safe for its residents and compliant with NSW’s cladding regulations.
You can message us through our contact page, email us at [email protected] call us at (02) 9062 3224 to book a cladding assessment. We’ll get back to you with a free fee proposal.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Endeavour Engineering assess fire risk in external wall cladding?
Our fire safety engineering team conducts comprehensive combustible cladding risk assessments to evaluate fire risks associated with external wall cladding. This assessment report includes a detailed analysis of the cladding material used, its compliance with building regulation, and potential fire spread risks. The process involves a checklist to identify flammable or potentially combustible cladding, especially in residential buildings and private structures deemed a higher risk.
What are the steps involved in remediate external wall cladding to enhance fire safety?
Remediation of external wall cladding involves several steps. First, our experts conduct a fire risk assessment to identify the extent of combustible cladding on the building. Then, we provide an engineering assessment outlining necessary fire safety measures. This may include replacing flammable cladding with accredited, fire-resistant materials and implementing additional fire safety strategies to mitigate risks.
Can Endeavour Engineering help buildings with combustible cladding meet compliance standards?
Absolutely. Endeavour Engineering specialises in helping buildings with combustible cladding meet current compliance standards. Our team performs a thorough audit and uses a combustible cladding checklist to assess each building’s fire safety risks. We then recommend appropriate measures to ensure compliance with building regulation and fire safety requirements, particularly for buildings identified by the taskforce as high-risk due to combustible cladding.
What is involved in a building fire safety risk assessment for external cladding?
A building fire safety risk assessment for external cladding entails evaluating the cladding installed on buildings to determine its fire spread potential. Our experts examine the type of cladding, its installation, and the overall design of the external wall. We then generate a comprehensive report detailing the fire risk level and providing recommendations to enhance fire safety, particularly for residential buildings and higher-risk structures.
How do I know if my building requires a combustible cladding risk assessment?
If your building has external cladding, particularly if it was installed before the latest cladding regulations, it may require a combustible cladding risk assessment. Buildings, where cladding was installed without proper accreditation or which have been identified in audits as having potentially combustible materials, should undergo an assessment. Contact us to perform a detailed fire risk assessment and ensure your building adheres to the latest fire safety engineering standards.
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