Porous concrete found at London airports

LONDON: A type of concrete that has forced hundreds of British schools to close due to safety fears has been found at London Heathrow and Gatwick, the airports said on Friday.

Concerns about Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) prompted the closure of classrooms and buildings in late August, just before the start of the new school year in England.

The UK government is under pressure to act and has faced questions about how much it knew about the extent of the issue and when, plus what it plans to do to fix it. The shelf-life of the porous substance, which is prone to corrosion and cracking as it ages, has stoked fears about its wider use in UK public buildings such as hospitals and courts.

Heathrow and Gatwick played down concerns about the risks to airport users and staff, and said areas identified as having RAAC were closely monitored. “Industry has been aware and acting on the remedial steps that should be taken in buildings that contain this material,” a Heathrow spokesperson said.

“We, like many others, have been assessing our estate and will continue to mitigate the risk where this material is found. “Passenger and colleague safety will always be our first priority and we will continue to update stakeholders across the sector as our plans for permanent solutions progress.”

RAAC was found in Heathrow´s Terminal 3 and an assessment of its mitigation plans was carried out after the issue with schools emerged, and found to be suitable. A Gatwick spokesperson said it had a register of locations containing RAAC, which were “closely monitored through a regular comprehensive structural inspection regime”.