The cladding layer caused fire to submerge London condominium

The cheap panels outside the Grenfell apartment building became fire pipes, causing the fire to spread quickly.

A fire on June 14 broke out at the 24-storey Grenfell apartment tower in London, England, killing at least 30 people, of whom people living on the top three floors were more likely to survive. Fire experts believe that the fire spread quickly throughout the building in part because of the use of cheap exterior cladding , according to Popular Mechanics.

These panels were attached outside the building by the contractor during last year's renovation. Although called the "rain barrier" , this coating is said to help the building look more luxurious to attract people to rent, instead of the original crude concrete walls.

According to BBC, the panel used in Grenfell is Reynobond , a material consisting of two thin aluminum panels with a central insulation made of thermoplastic thermoplastic named polyethylene , usually used for nylon bags.

The 24-storey apartment was swallowed by the fire.(Photo: SHM).

The advantage of this type of cladding is low cost. According to Times of London, the amount of money spent by contractors to install Reynobond panel in Grenfell is only 6,000 USD, while the cost of renovating the building does not include a panel of 12 million USD.

However, polyethylene has a very low melting point and drips when burned. This means that the fire can spread up and down at the same time through these panels due to molten burning plastic.

The British Building Research Organization (BRE) has conducted many tests with this type of panel, showing when exposed to the high temperature of the rising fire, the outer aluminum surface and its middle layer of material. often separated due to the expansion of the aluminum film and the softness of the mounting line. The aluminum on both sides will fall out, revealing the flammable core inside.

Some similar accidents have happened in the world. In the fire that destroyed The Address tower in Dubai on December 31, 2015, the fire also ignited the exterior panel, causing the hot metal and melting core of the cladding to fall below, causing fire to catch on the houses. next. After the day of the fire, the entire area was covered with aluminum panels that fell from the cladding.

The plastic core aluminum cladding called Alucobest also led to the Lacrosse building fire in Melbourne, Australia, 2014, when fire spread throughout the building in just a few minutes due to this type of panel.

Installing a panel can also make the problem more serious. Usually, there is a gap between the panels and the building wall. When entering this gap, fire will spread wider to get more fuel and oxygen, making this gap become a fire duct.

The fire observed outside the building is several meters tall, but according to BRE, inside the space, fire can be 5-10 times higher."This gap allows the fire to spread quickly unnoticed through the external cladding system, without fire retaining walls , " BRE said.

24-storey apartment on fire in London.

In fact, there are a number of " fire stops" built inside the building to prevent the fire from spreading between different areas. Firelock is a fire protection system that includes various components used to seal gaps and connect fire-resistant walls and floors.

If the firelock is arranged properly, the fire will be difficult to spread quickly. Authorities will have to consider whether the firefight in Grenfell has been built as required or not during the investigation.

In the UK, residents of high-rise buildings are often advised to stay indoors when there is a fire. Unless their homes caught fire, people would be safer if they tried to behind the fire-resistant door instead of rushing to the hallways and staircases of blind smoke. Firefighters will handle the fire and rescue those in danger. This guide was reconsidered after the 2009 fire in London killed 6 people and will certainly continue to be considered after this week's fire.

In Australia, construction contractors are forced to remove the flammable panel after a fire in Lacrosse building and similar measures can be taken in London apartment buildings after the Grenfell tower fire, according to fire experts. Fear