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WE ARE OPEN

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Coronavirus Safety Aware
NO physical contact with our drivers during visits
ALL communications and paperwork sent via telephone or email
NO paperwork to be signed
ALL staff are strictly following our Coronavirus Safety Policy

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RAAC in schools

The news has been buzzing recently with information about RAAC in schools. Here we will look at what RAAC is, what all the fuss is about and what happens to it at the end of its intended serviceable life.

There hasn't been this level of concern about the safety of our public buildings since we started to learn about the horrors of asbestos in buildings. Schools and other public buildings with asbestos were not likely to crumble and fall down, but if the asbestos was disturbed, the danger to health was immense.

The danger posed by RAAC in schools has the potential to be deadly, and in a very short space of time, as structural integrity can fail catastrophically within a very short space of time after the initial signs of weakness or failure.

It is becoming increasingly important to identify the presence of RAAC, have remediation works carried out and having the waste RAAC removed by a reputable skip company, and preferably by a skip company that can demonstrate that they recycle the majority of the waste they collect and remove. What you don't want is a skip removal company that simply conveys all waste to land fill.

What is RAAC?

RAAC, the abbreviated name for Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete is a lightweight, bubbly form of concrete that is usually found in roofs and occasionally in walls and floors. It looks like standard concrete but compared with the traditional reinforced material, which is far denser, RAAC is weak and less durable. RAAC has been described as having the appearance of a famous chocolate bar that is full of bubbles. The material was favoured in construction projects because of its lightweight, thermal properties.

The thermal element was important, as the local authorities that sanctioned its use in schools and other buildings could see a massive saving on heating bills for those buildings going forward. Unfortunately, the good thermal properties of RAAC are outweighed by certain negative aspects of the building material.

Where is RAAC found?

Schools, hospitals and various other public buildings from the 1950s to the middle of the 1990s were built using RAAC. A National Audit Office report earlier in 2023 said the concrete had been confirmed in at least sixty five schools in England after nearly two hundred surveys had been completed, with about twenty four requiring emergency action.

The number of schools at risk was expected to increase by a substantial number when the results of surveys of nearly six hundred schools with suspected RAAC were completed by the Department for Education.

More than thirty eight percent of school buildings are past their estimated design lifespan, according to the NAO.

What is the problem with RAAC?

In a nutshell, RAAC is found in many school buildings in England, and it is prone to sudden failure as it gets older.

Building experts have stated that as a building material, RAAC is less durable than reinforced concrete and deteriorates over time, so is susceptible to sudden failure. It has a relatively short life expectancy of just over thirty years and this means buildings constructed from the 1950s to the 1990s that have not been checked by structural engineers are at risk of collapse.

Moisture is also believed to accelerate the weakening of RAAC and as the building material is made up from millions of tiny bubbles, the concrete is far more porous than other types used in the construction industry. The usual route for water is when there are leaks in a building's roof, and this allows the water to soak into the RAAC, negatively impacting its integrity.

The danger has previously been considered so great that a number of schools have had to close, either fully or partly, while others have required emergency propping up owing to fears of collapse.

How long have the authorities known about RAAC in schools?

The government says it closed down parts of some schools in England because of evidence about unsafe concrete.

But problems with the material have been known about for quite a number of years. Urgent questions are now being raised at government level about the presence of RAAC in school buildings. These questions centre on why it was allowed in the first place, and why nothing has been done to rectify the situation sooner.

Why the sudden interest in RAAC?

The nations eyes turned to the use of RAAC in schools in 2018 when the roof of a primary school in Kent collapsed just two days after signs of structural stress began to appear. As you can imagine, two days is very little time to address a situation, as it could take a schools business manager longer than that to secure an appointment for a structural engineer to attend.

Four schools in Essex and the north-east of England were shut in April and June after RAAC was discovered in their ceilings.

Surveys to determine the presence and condition of the RAAC used in the buildings have been taking place since March last year.

What happens with RAAC after removal?

Once you are aware of the presence of RAAC in your building, work is set in motion to remove and rebuild with a safer material, but how do you get rid of it what happens with the old RAAC once it's been removed?

Is recycling RAAC an option?

Most people simply want to get rid of any waste materials, regardless of what they are. Fortunately, these days' people often consider the possibility of recycling more than they would have in the past.

Recycling unneeded concrete is a fantastic way to protect the environment and preserve scarce natural resources, so recycling RAAC is a viable option.

Many people believe that you cannot recycle concrete. Concrete waste can be used to manufacture new structural parts without sacrificing its core qualities of strength and resistance.

In a domestic setting, many people will break up old concrete and use it as hardcore for the base of a new patio, or to improve the drainage properties of an area that will be turned into a lawn or flower bed. From an industrial perspective, the process is a little more detailed.

Concrete recycling is a fairly complex process that requires specialised machines. The concrete is fed into an industrial crusher, which demolishes the concrete into small fragments. These fragments are passed through various screens that separate the useful material from the dirt and unusable particles.

The first screen is responsible for separating the materials and the second screen removes the coarse aggregate.

What about simply disposing of RAAC?

Concrete should not just be thrown away anywhere. The appropriate authorities, such as the local councils Environmental Health Department can guide you and advise who is available to dispose of it for you.

It should be remembered that concrete that is not properly disposed of can be the source of various rather nasty diseases, including dengue and leptospirosis. If any concrete material is just dumped in a public place, it can have very serious consequences for the general public. Many people have been hospitalised due to dumped or fly-tipped concrete. These diseases are not directly caused by the dumped RAAC, but by the habitat the waste concrete creates. Rodent urine can soak into the RAAC, thus presenting a risk of Weil's disease, the acute, severe form of leptospirosis. This causes the infected individual to become, develop kidney failure, and bleed. The potential for blindness is also quite high too. As for Dengue fever, this is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Dumped concrete often attracts many insects, including mosquitoes. Symptoms typically begin three to fourteen days after infection. These may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin itching and skin rash. Recovery generally takes two to seven days. In a small proportion of cases, the disease develops into a more severe dengue hemorrhagic fever, resulting in bleeding, low levels of blood platelets and blood plasma leakage, or into dengue shock syndrome, where dangerously low blood pressure occurs.

Landfill for RAAC is not a good option

You've called on the services of a professional removal company to remove your waste RAAC, but what if they take it straight to landfill? Well, while it may not harm people in as direct a way as it would do if it were fly-tipped or dumped on land, concrete in landfill will still contribute to the damage of the environment through pollution and CO2 emissions.

What you should be looking for is a skip company that recycles as much of your waste concrete as it possibly can. A good skip company will recognise that there are recycling options for the vast majority of waste these days.

By recycling concrete materials, you will be limiting the production of new concrete, thus helping the environment.

RAAC as aggregate

When concrete is crushed with an industrial crusher, it can be reused as aggregate in another concrete application. Instead of using natural stones, crushed concrete can be used instead.

This is a good as it helps to preserve natural aggregates in the ground. Although it should be borne in mind that the use of waste concrete as aggregate usually requires a much greater amount of cement, sand and water to be added to the mixture. Therefore it may not always be the best option, as it does create a higher demand for other products that would otherwise not be needed.

Uses for recycled RAAC and other concrete materials

As well as aggregate, recycled concrete can be used in a variety of applications. Over half of the crushed concrete can be used for down cycling purposes, meaning that is, for a more limited range of uses than the original concrete. Up cycling means that a recycled material can be used for more applications than it was originally intended.

Though the crushed concrete will retain much of the strength and durability of the original concrete, it won't be suitable for every application. But there are still many applications it can be used for including roads, paths and pavements. The strength issue is considerably reduced when it comes to recycled RAAC. As an example, the replacement of sand by recycled RAAC has been shown to improve the thermal properties of the new material; this makes the new product more suitable for certain products that demand improved thermal insulation over actual structural strength.

Also, waste RAAC demolition waste can contain impurities such as asphalt and plastics, resulting in visual contaminations and problems in the production process of new building materials. Other recycling options for RAAC waste include the use of crushed RAAC waste as oil absorbent or as filler for cat litter boxes. Unfortunately, a significant portion of RAAC waste is still sent to land fill sites, which is why we advocate using a reputable skip company that recycles as much waste material as possible.

So, if you have any waste, even if it's concrete, seriously think about the impact on the environment if it were to go straight to land fill. A good skip removal company will do everything they can to recycle as much of the waste they collect as possible.

Disposing of asbestos

Asbestos is a general name given to several naturally occurring fibrous minerals that have crystallised to form fibres. Asbestos fibres do not dissolve in water or evaporate, they are resistant to heat, fire, chemical and biological degradation and are mechanically very strong. Disposing of asbestos is no job for the amateur, it needs addressing by the properly trained and licensed waste management professionals.

Hoarding costs you money

Many hoarding behaviours can be put down to past experiences the individual has gone through. This may be periods of abject poverty, that makes them feel the need to hoard items just in case they could be used to good effect at a later stage. It is now thought that hoarding can adversely affect your finances. This may sound like a strange statement to make, but a bad financial situation is something we all want to avoid.

Time to have a good clearout

We've all been there. Our house has become a little cluttered and we feel the need to have a good tidy up. Many refer to it as a spring clean, but any time of year is a good time to de-clutter our living space. Having a good tidy up not only clears your house, it will help to clear your mind too. Research has shown that living in a cluttered environment can even have adverse effects on a person's sleep.

Fly tipping: what's the problem in Stevenage?

Illegal dumping is the proper name for fly tipping and it is typically distinguished from littering because of the type and amount of material left and the way in which it is disposed of. Fly tipping has always been a problem in Stevenage and indeed all over Hertfordshire.

The waste consequences of Covid

In an age where we are constantly looking for ways to cut down on our waste, it seems strange that so much extra waste has been created by the covid pandemic. The vast majority of this is made from plastic, so surely it could be recycled, but when one considers what it has been used for, it renders it potentially hazardous waste.

New Bill designed to ban export of plastic waste

When we throw away our waste materials, few of us know or possibly even wonder where this waste will end up. Many often believe that if it goes into the recycling bin, it will be recycled and therefore they will be doing their bit for the good of the environment. Unfortunately, a good deal of plastic waste often ends up in developing countries.

The problems with waste disposal in Stevenage

How many times have we looked at all the waste materials we have accumulated and despaired at the arduous prospect of sorting it into various types of waste to dispose of at the local tip? This once simple task has now become a major headache for many as the restrictions on what we can dispose of in landfill has increased so much in recent times.

Plastic pollution around the globe

Plastic pollution is now one of the biggest environmental concerns we have to face. You may feel that large amounts of plastic waste are unavoidable in the world we live in, but you and your family can help with the plastic pollution issue by being aware of its dangers and taking the necessary steps to reduce your plastic waste.

Carbon emissions and the environment

An awful lot has been said over the years about the damage we are doing to our environment with the carbon emissions and waste we produce. Some dispute the possibility that we are damaging our planet beyond repair, while others state quite clearly that we have very little time to change our ways and that time is running out.

How the five R's can dramatically improve our environment in Stevenage?

We have all heard of recycling our waste materials and for many years, some councils have provided special recycling bins to help residents avoid putting too much waste into landfill. But recycling is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to helping keep our environment healthy in Stevenage.

Recycle or incinerate! What is the best solution for our waste materials in Stevenage?

We are constantly being encouraged to recycle our waste materials and not putting them into landfill. However, there appears to be an emerging trend for incineration of waste in many areas, but is this a good or bad step?

Single use plastic products in Stevenage

Here at Stevenage Skip Hire we always recycle as much of your waste as possible, however, there is always more that can be done to improve the environment that we all need to survive.

A guide to what can and cannot go into a hired skip

At Stevenage Skip Hire we are frequently asked what waste materials can be placed into the hired skips we supply. So we thought it would be a good idea to offer a quick guide as to what is and is not acceptable.

Recycling your waste materials in Stevenage

Recycling is something most of us do now to some degree. Some do it more than others, but we mostly appreciate that it is an important part of our daily lives. It is more important to recycle waste in order to conserve resources and maintain a healthy environment than ever before. The question is, are we really doing everything possible when it comes to recycling our waste materials? The achances are that many of us are probably not doing all we can. So here are a few tips to help you recycle properly.

The problem with plastic pollution in Hertfordshire

Waste reduction in Hertfordshire

The country is now committed to reducing the amount of waste and the government have set targets for waste reduction. A new plan for cutting waste was published back in 2007 that aimed for at least 40 per cent of household waste to be recycled or composted by 2010, this rose to 50 per cent by 2020.

Plastic waste from the United Kingdom may be sent overseas instead of recycled

Massive amounts of packaging waste is being sent overseas to be recycled and turned into new products. However, concerns have been raised that in reality a good deal of it is being dumped in landfill sites in countries that we have no agreement with.

Just how recyclable is the plastic we use in Stevenage Skip Hire

We all know that plastic is recyclable, so as long as we put it in the correct bin it will be made into something else useful. Sadly this is a myth that all too many people believe, the painful truth is quite the opposite. We have all seen the triangular set of chasing arrows logo on plastic products and seem to automatically assume that it denotes that the product is recyclable.

What happens to all the plastic we throw out

Just where would we be without plastic? The production of plastic has exploded over the last fifty or so years, growing from 16.5 million tons in 1964 to 343 million tons in 2014; it is expected to double by 2036. The question is, where does all of this plastic go when people in Hertfordshire throw it away?

Fly tipping: A modern day curse

Fly tipping is simply another term used to describe illegal dumping of all manner of waste material, it is also called fly dumping. Whatever term is used, it is the dumping of waste illegally instead of using an authorised method such as kerbside collection or using an authorised rubbish dump. It is the illegal deposit of any waste onto land, including waste dumped or tipped on a site with no licence to accept waste.

Recycled plastic for roads and pavements

Plastic use in road and pavement construction is not exactly a new concept, but it does appear to be increasing. Using plastic waste to make plastic roads is definitely on the upward trend. Plastic roads mainly use plastic carrier bags, disposable cups and PET bottles that are collected from landfill sites prior to burial and are a vital part of this construction material.

Seaweed sachets offer an alternative to plastic

Indonesia has a wealth of naturally growing seaweed that can make an edible, water permeable film that can be used in sachets that hold tea, coffee, and hot cocoa as well as a whole host of other useful daily consumable products.

The increasing problem of plastics in our oceans

The amount of plastic in the oceans of the world is predicted to treble in the next ten years unless affirmative action is taken to deal with the problem, according to a new report just published.

Plastic pollution in the ocean starts from the rivers

A scary statistic is that more than eight million tons of waste plastic ends up in the ocean every single year. If we continue to pollute our oceans at this rate, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050 and it can take many years to break down if at all, not to mention the toxins it leaches in the process.

Ways to reduce your plastic waste

Plastic is a great product in so many ways, but the environmental impact it can have is enormous, particularly when it comes to the single use plastic products we seem to uses on a daily basis in our throw away society. Can we as private individuals do to cut down our personal plastic usage?

Plastic microbeads are a load of rubbish

Would you like to fill your mouth with plastic, or cover other parts of your anatomy with it on a regular basis? The answer would most likely be a resounding no, but we are already doing just that.

Waste plastic from the UK is polluting the globe

Literally thousands of tons of plastic scrap collected for recycling from British households have been transported and dumped on sites across the world. This shocking revelation was revealed from a recent freedom of information request.

Hiring a skip from Stevenage Skip Hire rather than using the local dump

Have you got a load of rubbish to dump? Is it better to hire a skip or use the local dump? Do you need a permit for having a skip? Can anyone apply for a permit? Here are a few answers which could help you when hiring a skip from Stevenage Skip Hire

Hire a skip from Stevenage Skip Hire for your garden waste

No matter what the season, a medium sized Hertfordshire garden can generate a massive amount of waste materials. The winter will leave a lot of dead leaves and twiggs from nearby trees to clear up, and when the warmer months hit, the waste is generated on a weekly basis as things grow rapidly.

Get a skip and avoid fly tipping in Hertfordshire

Not only does fly tipping blight the Hertfordshire countryside around us, it can have a devastating effect on the wildlife that we co-exist with. Then of course there is the eye watering cost of clearing up the mess that inconsiderate people have created. We all pay the price for this ecologically unsound practice through increased council tax bills from our councils. This could all be avoided if everyone disposed of their waste in the correct manner and hiring a skip is probably the best way to go about this, particularly if you have a large amount of waste to dispose of.

Some facts about waste and recycling from Stevenage Skip Hire

The United Kingdom produces over 100 million tonnes of waste every single year. If you consider that one tonne is about the weight of a small car, it is easy to see how it mounts up. In less than two hours, the waste we produce would fill the Albert Hall.

Hire a skip instead of going to your local Hertfordshire tip

Using a local Hertfordshire tip is not the same as it was a few years ago. These days everything has to go in the correct hopper, it cannot all go in the same one any longer. This means you have to know what goes where in order to segregate all the rubbish at home.

Hire a skip from Stevenage Skip Hire for your soil and mud

A Hertfordshire client recently hired one of our skips as they just could not believe how much earth they had to get rid of when they dug out a pond in their back garden. Our client had intended to build up their flower beds and other low spots of their garden with the excavated earth. They never thought they would need to get rid of any earth at all.

Useful information about skip hire in Hertfordshire

The one question we get asked the most at Stevenage Skip Hire is what size skip the customer will need. We always suggest that you think about what you need to dispose of and remember that two skips can be far more expensive than one larger skip. Skips are measured by the yard and range from 3 yard mini skips to roll-on roll-off containers more suitable for higher volume waste requirements.

Hire a skip from Stevenage Skip Hire to save you time effort and money

Hiring a skip from Stevenage Skip Hire is without a doubt the best way to get rid of all your waste materials! It is convenient, quick, easy and saves you a huge amount of work. Generally speaking, we only get a couple of days a week away from work, and when you end up ferrying your household waste back and forth from the local tip, your weekend soon gets swallowed up.

The benefits of skip hire from Stevenage Skip Hire in Hertfordshire

Having a good clear out of the garden shed or garage produces way more rubbish than you ever imagined possible. Decorating preparation can also produce a good deal of waste, such as old skirting boards and stripped wood chip paper that his been up since the war, so a skip is a great way to dispose of the waste.

Further Information

If you would like to know more or are interested in a quote we would be happy to help. Phone us on 0203 780 2277, email us at info@stevenageskiphire.co.uk or fill in our enquiry form and we will be in touch as soon as possible.