Tel: 01924 921090

RAAC Inspectors Ltd give peace of mind to building owners concerned about the presence of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) within their buildings.

Quick Guide to Identifying RAAC in buildings

What is RAAC?

RAAC is a lightweight, 'bubbly' form of concrete commonly used in construction between the 1950's and mid-1990's. It is predominantly found as precast panels in roofs (commonly flat roofs, sometimes pitched) and occasionally in floors and walls. RAAC Panels are light grey or white in appearance.

Identifying RAAC

In many cases, RAAC panels can be easily identified if a building's structure is not covered by finishes or decoration (such as ceilings). RAAC panels have some distinctive features. They are typically 600mm (approximately 2 feet) wide and their length will vary, typically up to 6 metres long. They typically have a chamfer along their edge meaning there is a distinctive V-shaped groove in the suface of the roof, wall or floor. RAAC panels are very soft. If you press a screwdriver, screw or nail into the surface of a RAAC panel you will be able to make an indentation in them.

BE AWARE - if there is a surface covering to the panels you should not try to make an indentation as the covering may contain asbestos.

RAAC Checklist

When looking directly at the structure (i.e. with no finishes or decoration) can you see one or more of the following?

600m wide white or grey concrete panels

Distinctive V-shaped grooves at regular spacing

Drawings of your building that refer to RAAC or mention any of the following suppliers - Siporex, Durox, Celcon, Hebel and Ytong

Next Steps...

If you have identified that a premises may contain RAAC, or if you are unsure, you should seek assistance from an appropriately qualified building surveyor or structural engineer to confirm if RAAC is present. All of our RAAC inspectors are Chartered Structural Engineers with many years of experience in concrete structures. Please contact us by phone or email to arrange for an initial inspection of your building where we can identify any areas containing RAAC and advise you of any further work required to ensure the safety of your building and it's users.

We currently cover the following local authority areas: West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, East Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Kent, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire

What our Clients say..

“We have been working very closely with Ken and Farzad since we discovered RAAC in one of our school buildings. The company offers high quality services at competitive rates. The staff are always polite, punctual and have a vast breadth of knowledge and experience. They are extremely proficient in their line of work and go above and beyond what is asked of them. They have excellent customer service and after sales support.”

Premises & Compliance Manager, SHARE MAT