Disposable Buildings: Cheap Materials, Deadly Fires

Modern fire safety regulations alone fall short of preventing serious fires in disposable buildings. Many modern buildings are essentially disposable - built cheaply and not meant to last. This leads to issues such as:

• Use of flammable cladding and insulation materials that don't meet standards but are cheaper. This was a factor in the Grenfell Tower fire.
• Lack of proper fire barriers, compartments, and sprinklers, even when required. Developers find ways to cut corners.
• Regulations focus on containing fires long enough to evacuate rather than suppressing them completely, but evacuations can fail.
• Difficulties accessing building facades for inspections and maintenance. Issues are not spotted until disasters occur.
• Buildings are redesigned with little oversight. Changes can introduce unseen fire risks.

More fundamental changes are needed in how modern buildings are designed and constructed to make them intrinsically fire-safe, rather than relying on regulations alone. Measures like avoiding flammable materials, adding sprinklers, and using more fire-resistant designs should be pursued. The goal should be to build buildings that suppress fires quickly and don't require risky evacuations.

Read more on this topic here: https://ukfiremag.co.uk/why-fire-safety-regulations-alone-fall-short-the-issue-of-disposable-buildings/