Elhance was appointed to carry out fire risk remediation works across three 17 storey social housing blocks. Each building was clad with combustible decorative panels, which extended from roof level down to ground floor on all elevations. This presented a clear and consistent fire safety risk that required a coordinated, building-wide solution.
Following the award of the contract, the Employer expanded the scope to include a full environmental clean of all windows and balconies, along with the repainting of balcony fascias. This additional work was carefully integrated into our programme to ensure that residents benefitted from both improved fire safety and a visibly enhanced external environment.
Securing safe and effective access to all elevations was critical on a project of this scale and height. We installed mast climbers mounted on a scaffold platform, specifically designed to maintain clear access to the ground floor and multiple building entrances, while also preventing unauthorised access to the mast climber system itself.
In addition to the high-rise façade works, we completed a series of associated improvements at ground and roof level. These included the installation of new cladding to ground floor elevations and soffits, the fitting of dusk till dawn lighting beneath newly-installed canopy soffits, and the provision of new non-slip walkways on the roofs. All works were carefully sequenced and coordinated, allowing the project to be completed in line with the agreed programme.
One of the primary challenges at the outset was the lack of detailed information. The Employer’s requirement was clear: the replacement cladding had to closely match the colour and size of the existing decorative panels, while fully meeting current fire safety requirements.
We selected non-combustible Rockpanel boards and worked closely with the supply chain to optimise their use. As the boards were non-standard sizes, this process generated more than 40 percent off-cuts. Rather than waste this material, we repurposed it for ground floor cladding and soffit areas, improving both sustainability and overall project value.
For each block, we instructed our fixings supplier to carry out a series of pull out tests to confirm the strength of the existing concrete slabs. Wind load calculations were completed by both the helping hand bracket system manufacturer and Rockpanel, ensuring that the proposed system was suitable for the building height and exposure.
The existing timber soffit support structure was removed and replaced with aluminium top hats, eliminating combustible elements from this area. Wind load calculations were also completed for the new soffit arrangement.
The thickness of the new non-combustible insulation was specified to match the thermal performance of the original PIR insulation, ensuring that residents did not experience any loss in energy efficiency.
All works were carried out on fully-occupied social housing blocks, each with an active residents’ committee. We placed particular emphasis on communication, considerate working practices, and site management to ensure that residents felt informed, respected, and safe throughout the project.
On one of the buildings, investigations revealed that the existing ground floor support frame did not meet the required wind load criteria for the new cladding system. We responded by designing and installing additional aluminium top hats, bringing the structure fully into compliance – without delaying the programme.
The site also presented a range of practical hazards, including working close to active gas flues and areas affected by pigeon excrement. These risks were managed through training and the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), ensuring the safety of both our workforce and building occupants.
Quality assurance underpinned every stage of the project. Our Site Quality Management Plan set out clear processes to confirm that all combustible materials were removed and that replacement systems were installed correctly. This included construction issue drawings, engineering calculations, and supporting technical literature for all elements of the works.
We implemented defined inspection and hold point stages, supported by statistically justified sampling and detailed progress photography. Agreed schedules were followed for imagery capture, reporting, and uploading information to our project database.
At completion, final sign-off confirmed that all quality records had been communicated to the Elhance team responsible for producing the Operations and Maintenance manual, which was issued to the Employer at Practical Completion.
This project demonstrates Elhance’s ability to deliver large-scale fire risk remediation works to occupied high-rise social housing. Through careful planning, clear communication, and robust engineering, we removed combustible materials, enhanced safety, and delivered additional improvements that positively impacted residents, all while maintaining programme certainty and a high standard of workmanship.