Australian governments are urgently checking public buildings to see if they contain aerated concrete that could be dangerous after dozens of UK schools had to close classrooms built with crumble-risk concrete that can suddenly collapse.
The buildings of concern in the UK were built of lightweight concrete panels called reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) – more commonly known in Australia as autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC).
It is bubbly, rather than filled with material such as gravel or crushed stone. This makes it cheaper to produce, more lightweight and easier to install – but also less durable, with a lifespan of about 30 years.
The UK crisis has dominated headlines with thousands of students sent home. The cost of fixing schools was approaching £150m (A$300m).
The “Aero bar” material has been used widely in construction across Australia but, crucially, mostly for walls and prefabricated parts of buildings – not roofs, floors or structural elements, such as in the UK.
Its use in Australia is subject to standards set by the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB). Regulation and compliance are overseen by the states and territories.
AAC is permitted only in wall and cladding systems of homes in Australia, making it “a lower-risk profile” than in the UK, the board’s chief executive, Gary Rake, said.
It can, however, be used in other buildings, he said, when “there’s more likely to be a complex and highly skilled design team involved – perhaps architects, engineers and builders working together”.
The Australian standard then set out “a range of different parameters around design, appropriate use … and the assessments that need to be made”, Rake said.
He had “no new concerns” but was examining the information from the UK and would adjust the frameworks as required.
The Queensland government told Guardian Australia it believed AAC had been predominantly used for walls across the state – but an assessment of its use in all government buildings was under way.
“We are working closely with the ABCB to fully understand the extent of their use nationally,” the Queensland Department of Energy and Public Works said.
“We are also working with other state government agencies to determine whether AAC products have been used in Queensland government buildings. If materials have been used that fall short of Queensland’s high safety standards, this state’s laws are widely regarded as the strongest in the nation.”
The New South Wales education department said since School Infrastructure NSW was established in 2017, the department had required “structural materials with long life spans” to be used in schools.
“Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete is not suitable for use as a structural material as it does not meet the requirement of having a long life span,” a spokesperson said.
School construction was managed by NSW Public Works before 2017. It has said projects were undertaken in accordance with department requirements.
A NSW Fair Trading spokesperson said buildings were regularly audited and any noncompliance was able to be dealt with through rectification orders.
A government source said the state’s building commissioner had not been made aware of any particular risk associated with AAC in NSW.
Victoria said it was working with other states and the federal building board to assess the risk.
“We are aware of the emerging issue in the UK and are working with other states and territories and the ABCB to determine if there are any risks to Australia,” a government spokesperson said.
The ACT government had assessed how the product was used in public buildings and was liaising with the building board.
“The ACT government has engaged with relevant areas on this matter, including across its building, education, major projects and property group portfolios,” a government spokesperson said.
“No issues have been reported or identified relating to the use of ACC and there is no evidence of any significant risk arising from the use of AAC in the ACT.
“The ACT government has and will continue to discuss this matter with the ABCB and representatives from other jurisdictions and share relevant information and responses to any identified risks.”
The Northern Territory sought information in relation to the standards and the use of AAC.
“At this stage, there is no information to demonstrate that there are any issues associated with the use of these products,” a spokesperson said.
The Tasmanian government said it had engaged with the board “to ensure the safety of products such as autoclaved aerated concrete”.
The South Australian government looked into the reports and found there was “no record of any instances of these planks being used in our existing buildings”.
Similarly, a Western Australian government spokesperson said there was “little to no use of autoclaved aerated concrete as structural elements in any WA building” and it had not been used in public schools nor hospitals.
