RAAC forced Scottish university to abandon living walls project
Summary
The University of Strathclyde abandoned plans for living walls on two Glasgow campus buildings after RAAC was discovered in both structures. Funding originally allocated for the sustainability project was repurposed, highlighting how RAAC can disrupt planned capital works and wider estate improvements.
Why it matters
Surveyors may encounter RAAC during inspections, refurbishment planning or due diligence on older public-sector and institutional buildings. The article also illustrates how latent structural issues can affect project feasibility, sequencing and budget allocation.
Key points
- RAAC was found in the Henry Dyer Building and the University Centre Building at the University of Strathclyde.
- A £737,000 capital loan for living walls was abandoned and redirected to another sustainability project.
- The Scottish Funding Council had identified Strathclyde as one of 18 Scottish universities and colleges with RAAC found by February 2024.
- RAAC is associated with buildings constructed between the 1950s and mid-1990s and can pose collapse risk, especially when wet.
- Universities manage their own estate remediation timelines, unlike the government-led programme for schools and colleges in England.
Organisations:
University of Strathclyde, Construction News, Scottish Funding Council, Department for Education, Glasgow City Council
Locations:
Glasgow, Scotland, Cathedral Street, John Anderson Campus, England
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