Dundee University has submitted an £800,000 plan to remove Raac from one of its buildings.
Two buildings at the university have been partially closed since April due to concerns over potentially dangerous reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) in their roofs.
It followed a UK Government safety warning notice over Raac, which was widely used to build hospitals and schools from the 1950s to the 1990s.
Now the university is asking Dundee City Council for consent to do work on the Fulton Building, which houses the School of Science and Engineering.
Dundee University’s Raac plan would cost more than £800k
It has lodged a building warrant application to strip off existing flat roof finishes to remove Raac roof panels over workshop areas and part of the Tower Building on Small’s Lane.
The plan includes installing single ply roofing membrane over new insulated composite roof panels.
Associated works to the perimeter of roofs would include building up existing wallheads/parapets as required to suit new roof panels, new parapet cappings, new insulated gutters and new replacement rooflights.
The project would cost £807,000.
‘Significant’ works will cause disruption
The application follows an admission from a senior member of staff that millions of pounds will have to be spent to make the university’s buildings safe.
Raac is also present on the roof of the Dundee University Students Association (Dusa) in Airlie Place.
Rose Jenkins, director of estates at the university, said in September: “The disruption of having to fix the roofs is quite significant.”
“We have to take them off and put them back on again, which is going to be a long-term project for us and a big thing to undertake.
“It’s going to cost millions, and be really big projects.
“We have not budgeted for it but we do hold contingencies to cope with ‘black swan‘ events.
“This means we are going to have to reconsider taking some things forward.”
Third area of Raac ‘inconsequential’
Raac is also present in a third area in the university, the Crawford Building, which houses Duncan of Jordanstone art students.
However, this is “inconsequential,” according to Ms Rose.
A Dundee University spokesperson said: “This is a building warrant for part of the Fulton Building (not the Tower Building on Perth Road), which has some offices and teaching space.
“This is still an early stage in resolving the issues caused in the building by Raac and further applications will be required to support the total solution which is being designed now.
“We do not yet know how long repairs may take as it will depend on final designs.
“In the meantime. mitigations are in place to allow activity which would normally take place in that part of the building to take place elsewhere on campus.
“Other areas of the building remain open as usual.
“This work does not place the university in financial difficulty.”
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