RAAC found at Wrexham Maelor Hospital’s pathology department
Crumbling concrete RAAC has been found at the Wrexham Maelor Hospital.
Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC), was used liberally in construction projects from the 1950s to the 1990s as a cheaper, lightweight, easy to use alternative to reinforced concrete.
But in recent years it has begun to deteriorate, leaving many publicly and privately-owned buildings at risk of collapse and owners facing a costly bill to remove RAAC and make their properties sound.
In January an inspection by a specialist surveyor on behalf of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board of Wrexham Maelor Hospital identified RAAC in the flat roof of the Pathology Department.
BCUHB immediately installed props to shore up the roof area, which includes heavy air conditioning units.
All access to the roof area has been restricted, the fire service have been warned not to place any load upon the roof section should they need to attend.
Other safety measures include putting the area below the RAAC roof out of use when snow covers the roof and the board’s Operational Estates team conducting daily inspections to identify any concerns such as water leaks or obvious signs of failure.
No RAAC has been identified in areas of the hospital where patients or the general public have access.
In a statement BCUHB chief executive Carol Shillabeer said: “As part of a comprehensive review of our estate we have identified a section of roof in a building on the Wrexham Maelor Hospital site which contains RAAC.
“The area impacted is a part of a small extension and is not used to provide patient care.
“Safety measures have been put in place to allow the area to continue to be used while a plan to remove and replace the RAAC is developed.”
By Alec Doyle – BBC Local Democracy Reporter
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