Why punching shear is raising legal and structural concerns
Summary
The article highlights growing concern over punching shear in reinforced concrete flat and transfer slabs, particularly in high-rise and mixed-use buildings. It notes that recent guidance and urgent practice alerts from professional bodies and the Building Safety Regulator are prompting structural reviews, with potential implications for litigation, insurance claims and intrusive investigations.
Why it matters
Residential surveyors may encounter affected buildings during inspections, valuations or due diligence, especially where historic reinforced concrete transfer slabs are present. The issue raises the likelihood of structural defects, resident safety concerns and potential professional liability exposure where such risks are not identified or properly escalated.
Key points
- Punching shear is a brittle structural failure mode affecting reinforced concrete flat and transfer slabs.
- The Building Safety Regulator and RICS have issued urgent practice alerts for structural reviews of existing buildings with transfer slabs.
- Historic design methods may not align with modern safety expectations, increasing scrutiny of older developments.
- The Defective Premises Act 1972 retrospective limit has increased the potential for claims against designers, contractors and surveyors.
- Structural reviews may uncover additional unrelated defects, adding to claims and remediation costs.
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