Safety of timber frame again in the spotlight
Yet another timber frame goes up during the construction process!
Fire destroys PRP housing scheme
Building Design
13 August, 2007
By Phil Clark
A blaze on Saturday afternoon has destroyed two PRP-designed blocks of flats under construction by contractor Mansell at the Lemsford Road site in the centre of Hatfield.
The fire is likely to renew the debate over the use of timber frames on major housing schemes after a Broadway Malyan-designed development in Colindale, North London, was destroyed by fire last year (News Analysis, September 6 2006).
A spokesperson for Mansell owner Balfour Beatty said the cause of the fire was being investigated and any early reports on the cause of the fire was “pure speculation”.
A spokeswoman for the Hertfordshire Fire Service said that the cause of the fire on the two timber-framed blocks was believed to be accidental but that an investigation had begun. No one was hurt in the blaze.
Colindale fire questions safety of timber-frame sites
Building magazine.
1 December, 2006
By Thomas Lane
London Fire Brigade findings may lead to new procedures for timber-frame projects
A timber-frame housing development under construction in north London burned to the ground in less than nine minutes, a Building investigation has revealed.
The findings of a London Fire Brigade (LFB) inquiry into the fire that ripped through the Beaufort Park development in Colindale on 12 July has raised questions about safety procedures on timber-frame developments.
A meeting in December to discuss the findings could lead the Health and Safety Executive to publish new guidance on how firms should protect construction sites from fire.
It’s frightening to think that it could burn to the ground in less than 9 minutes.
As responsible designers should we be considering timber frame construction as carrying additional risks under CDM?