The University of Edinburgh spent £770,000 on Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) remediation after closing a number of buildings on the university’s estate.
Closed buildings include the Dan Rutherford Building, parts of Appleton Tower, and parts of the King’s Buildings.
On 31 August 2023, the UK Government issued guidance advising the closure of buildings containing RAAC due to risks associated with its structural integrity.
RAAC is a lightweight concrete type popularised in the 1960s which has now been proven to deteriorate over time, especially when coming into contact with water.
In addition to that, RAAC usually has a lifespan of only 30 years which it has reached in many buildings throughout the country.
In August 2023 the UK Government’s Health and Safety Executive announced:
“RAAC is now life-expired. It is liable to collapse with little or no notice.”
The closure has resulted in the need for lessons to be moved elsewhere, including to McEwan Hall, and the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC), which is approximately 15 minutes by foot from George Square.
Overall, only a small part of the university’s teaching Estate is affected by RAAC.
More from news: UK Universities spend millions to secure international students
A spokesperson for the University of Edinburgh told The Student:
“The vast majority of our Estate is unaffected and continues to operate as normal.”
“We are operating in line with industry guidance and good progress has been made on additional structural assessments and remedial work where required, with some affected areas now re-opened.”
Lecture Theatres 4 and 5 in Appleton Tower will remain closed for the rest of the academic year, while spaces in the James Clerk Maxwell Building and the Joseph Black Building have reopened.
For most spaces, remedial works are yet to be undertaken.
This week in Westminster: Private members Bill introduced to split Lord Advocate role
The University spokesperson further stated:
“As of 24 January 2024, we have spent approximately £770,000 on RAAC surveying and remediation.
“The University is still at a commercially sensitive stage in the procurement process for further proposed remediation works as we are yet to award the tender, therefore we cannot release the costings estimate for the remaining work.
“We are very sorry for the disruption this is causing, however our priority is to ensure that our buildings remain safe for everyone in our community.”
Image via Rayna Curruthers