Grenfell Tower | North Kensington | 70m | 24 fl

[SE9]

Grenfell Tower
Lancaster West Estate, W11

[SE9]

Original Tower

• Floors: 24

• Completed: 1974

• Residential units: 120

Grenfell Tower comprises 20 storeys of residential flats and four storeys of community/office spaces at podium level. It is roughly square in plan and the residential floors are identical: 4no. 2-bed flats – one on each corner –and 2no. 1-bed flats – one facing east and the other west. The north and south elevations are almost identical, as are the east and west.

The structural frame: columns, core, stairs and floor plates are in-situ poured concrete. Pre-cast concrete panels form the cladding to the residential floors: one panel type serves as a horizontal structural spandrel, spanning column to column and the other is a facing to the columns, each panel a full storey height.




Grenfell Tower, Lancaster West Estate by w_faich, on Flickr

[SE9]

Refurbishment

• Planning application: Kensington & Chelsea PP/12/04097

• Client: KCTMO Limited

• Main contractor: Rydon

• Contract Value: £8.7 million

• Contract Period: 66 weeks

• Internal reconfiguration of podium levels and external reclad

• 7 new residential units (three at the mezzanine level, four at the walkway +1 level)

Rydon delivered an £8.6m upgrade to the 24-storey Grenfell Tower as part of a £57m borough-wide regeneration in Kensington & Chelsea, London. Located in the Lancaster West Estate in North Kensington, the project on the 1970s-built tower has delivered a number of improvements, with residents still in occupation, to the community facilities and energy efficiency of the building. Additional new homes have also been created using vacant space. Externally, rain screen cladding, curtain wall façade and replacement windows were fitted, improving thermal insulation and modernising the exterior of the building. Internally, lower floor space was remodelled to incorporate extra new homes as well as a nursery, which was relocated from another part of the building. A completely new heating system was installed, which contributes to reducing living costs of residents. Resident liaison is an important part of this redevelopment and residents were actively consulted as the project progressed. Rydon achievied a BREEAM rating and secured eco funding from KCTMO.

[SE9]

At 3:03am on the BBC News Channel:

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Fire Rages At London Apartment Building
CBS Pittsburgh | 13 June 2017

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Massive fire engulfs London block of flats
The Star Online | 13 June 2017

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Massive fire blazes through London high-rise
Fox News | 13 June 2017

[tool2106]

I wonder how much longer can the structure stiand before collapsing. It's been almost four hours since the fire break out.

[SE9]

Photo by @Natalie_Oxford

[SE9]

Photo by @Natalie_Oxford

[Atmosphere]

Apparently there was even an action group for the fire risk inside the building.

https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpres...l-a-fire-risk/

[hugh]

According to that site, there were major concerns about fire risk.

[Black Cat]

Absolutely shocking! This building is still occupied and is burning like a dry Christmas tree.

If this building is of concrete construction, how could a fire spread as it clearly has. Hope its not a case of combustible new insulated metal cladding from China which caused a series of high rise fires a few years ago.

The images of the combustible furniture dumped in the hallways is also terrible. Kensington and Chelsea seem to be trying to upgrade their council housing stock but something has gone very terribly wrong.

Its an awful happening, though SE9 you have done a great service in providing this background info.

[Borough]

Originally Posted by Black Cat

Absolutely shocking! This building is still occupied and is burning like a dry Christmas tree.

If this building is of concrete construction, how could a fire spread as it clearly has. Hope its not a case of combustible new insulated metal cladding from China which caused a series of high rise fires a few years ago.

The images of the combustible furniture dumped in the hallways is also terrible. Kensington and Chelsea seem to be trying to upgrade their council housing stock but something has gone very terribly wrong.

Its an awful happening, though SE9 you have done a great service in providing this background info.

Clearly the cladding went up and the building burned from the outside in. Same deal as Camberwell. Without checking, what do the building regs have to say about recladding and new window schemes? I've watched these again and again and wondered how and why floor to ceiling UPVC windows are allowed and flammable composite claddings are installed... other than he fact that they're cheap. Neither would be allowed on a new building because of the obvious risk of upward spread of fire.

[SE9]

London Fire: 200 fire fighters called to west London blaze
TRT World

[Crowns n' Spires]

Originally Posted by Borough

Clearly the cladding went up and the building burned from the outside in. Same deal as Camberwell. Without checking, what do the building regs have to say about recladding and new window schemes? I've watched these again and again and wondered how and why floor to ceiling UPVC windows are allowed and flammable composite claddings are installed... other than he fact that they're cheap. Neither would be allowed on a new building because of the obvious risk of upward spread of fire.

Yep, feels like we got something like thatched roofs again. The fire spreads so quickly from one appartment to the whole building.

I also guess it's more about what materials are allowed to use and what is allowed to build, than that regulations were violated. It was like this in Dubai with Tamwell Tower and the Torch.

[Borough]

Just checked the building regs and they are clear about the risk of fire spread up the outside of a building in B4 section 12.5 to 12.9 so this should not be possible in a new building. Seems the same rules do not apply to recladding schemes. Why, I do not know.

[SE9]

Some news organisations are incorrectly reporting Grenfell Tower as having 27 floors.

The building comprises 24 levels post-refurbishment (4 podium levels, 20 residential levels):

[SE9]

Advice in the event of fire:

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