FOI Request - RAAC in Schools
Request 101003608217
1. Please confirm to me what steps you have taken to remove or mitigate the presence of RAAC where it has been found in schools in your area. Please provide the specific actions taken for each school concerned.
2. Please let me know how much resource has been required to carry out any actions related to the removal or mitigation of RAAC in schools, or how much resource you estimate it would take carry out any actions related to the removal or mitigation of RAAC in schools.
3. Please provide with a copy of any correspondence you have had with the Scottish Government or other relevant officials about the actions you have had to take in relation to the removal or mitigation of RAAC in schools.
Response 16-08-2024
1. Following investigations RAAC was found in one school in Moray, that being Forres Academy. Following site inspections and assessments by a structural engineer it was established that RAAC was contained only in the original main block of the school. Detailed inspection established that some areas of the building were of critical and high risk rating as outlined in RAAC assessment guidance documents from the Institution of Structural Engineers. This was primarily due to RAAC panel bearings not meeting the current recommended panel seating support size and to some historic cutting of panels made on site to create roof lights including some ventilation extract and drainage / service pipes openings. All areas of critical and high risk were taken out of use as they were identified. Due to the school being determined for replacement in the next 5 years it was decided that some RAAC affected areas of the building would be permanently closed. Those areas which are retained for use have had mitigation measures undertaken. The measures put in place were: additional steel beams with associated secondary timber supports secured to the existing steel super structure of the school building in order to increase panel bearing length along with additional steel and timber supports installed to the RAAC panels that had been cut as aforementioned. Further, the RAAC panels are inspected on a rolling monthly programme by a structural engineer with all panels inspected at least once every 3 months.
2. Significant internal staff resource has been required to manage the situation from initial assessment stage, through removal of areas of use, contingency planning, decanting, mitigation works, re-instatement and now into the monitoring stage. In addition to the internal resource costs, in the region of £700,000 has been spent on the physical mitigation measures along with an ongoing site monitoring inspection with report record at a cost of £1500 per month.
3. The information has been sent to the requester directly due to size.