Background

The Police Scotland estates team became aware that RAAC was in the roof of the Fettes (Edinburgh) fleet workshop during repair works on 6 April 2023. As a result, structural engineers were brought in to assess the condition of the RAAC in the workshop as well as to inspect the rest of the Fettes complex for the presence of RAAC.

By way of background, RAAC planks are light-weight concrete, which differs from normal dense concrete (approx. 30-40% lighter in weight) and is more commonly found in buildings constructed from 1956 until the 1990's. These planks were generally used in roof work, walls and flooring and can be subject to degeneration over time, exacerbated by weathering i.e. water ingress whereby the concrete absorbs the water, creating a crumbling effect over time. RAAC was widely used in construction right across the UK and as it reaches the end of its useful life, it presents an issue to public and private sector bodies across the board.

The current guidance was recently updated, whereby the recommendation has been given to identify, monitor, risk manage and replace planks where appropriate. The risks are assessed in a red, amber, green traffic light system with red being the highest priority; either red high or red critical.

The workshop in Fettes was assessed as a red high risk requiring immediate attention with approximately 75% of the RAAC planks in this category. As a result the workshop was closed and the business continuity plan was put in place, which has been working effectively. The detailed inspection of the rest of Fettes confirmed further RAAC present in a number of other areas, and these too have been closed off with business continuity arrangements put in place.