Fire in Dubai high rise.

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Author Message David G. Axt, CCS, CSI ,SCIP Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 1448 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Thursday, December 31, 2015 - 01:46 pm:    I hope that nobody was injured or killed in the fire at the Address Hotel in Dubai. As with all large fire events, there will be some major building and fire code changes. David G. Axt, CCS, CSI, SCIP Specifications Consultant/Web Publisher www.localproductreps.com Richard Howard, AIA CSI CCS LEED-AP Senior Member Username: rick_howard Post Number: 291 Registered: 07-2003 Posted on Thursday, December 31, 2015 - 09:12 pm:    This is another case of ACM cladding igniting. It has happened several times over the last decade. The code in Dubai has changed to disallow the use of the non-fire-retardant core, but about two-thirds of existing towers have the same kind of combustible ACM cladding. Maybe there will be added pressure now to reclad these tinder boxes before they suffer a massive loss of life. Steven Bruneel, AIA, CSI-CDT, LEED-AP, EDAC Senior Member Username: redseca2 Post Number: 526 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Friday, January 01, 2016 - 12:19 am:    This may be a major lesson larded. There must be more than the ACM cladding to make this kind of disaster possible. I hope people got out okay. Steven Bruneel, AIA, CSI-CDT, LEED-AP, EDAC Senior Member Username: redseca2 Post Number: 527 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Friday, January 01, 2016 - 12:19 am:    This may be a major lesson larned. There must be more than the ACM cladding to make this kind of disaster possible. I hope people got out okay. Justatim Senior Member Username: justatim Post Number: 80 Registered: 04-2010 Posted on Monday, January 04, 2016 - 07:18 am:    ACM = Asbestos containing material??? Gary Berlin (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Monday, January 04, 2016 - 08:48 am:    I have been involved in several large projects in the Middle East and sometimes the products supplied are not what they say they are. I have seen products delivered to the site that did not meet the testing requirements set forth by the specification even though the datasheets and documentation supplied said they did. I suggest additional testing requirements be incorporated into the specifications for materials or systems that could impact life safety. J. Peter Jordan Senior Member Username: jpjordan Post Number: 881 Registered: 05-2004 Posted on Monday, January 04, 2016 - 09:02 am:    ACM = Aluminum Composite Panels J. Peter Jordan Senior Member Username: jpjordan Post Number: 882 Registered: 05-2004 Posted on Monday, January 04, 2016 - 09:07 am:    I have heard of some cases stateside where products delivered to the jobsite did not match approved Product Data, Samples, nor mock ups. Contractor went ahead and installed it since not to do would negatively impact the construction schedule. George A. Everding, FCSI, CCS, CCCA, AIA Senior Member Username: geverding Post Number: 816 Registered: 11-2004 Posted on Monday, January 04, 2016 - 11:55 am:    Headline today: Most Dubai towers built before 2012 ‘have non fire-rated exterior panels’ - http://www.thenational.ae/business/property/most-dubai-towers-built-before-2012-have-non-fire-rated-exterior-panels John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: bunzick Post Number: 1662 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Tuesday, January 05, 2016 - 05:32 pm:    The article in the link George posted mentions that the company says the panels have been tested per ASTM E119. This would not be the test needed to protect against this type of fire. That would be NFPA 285. I also wonder whether there was any foam insulation behind the composite panels. It's hard to tell from the photo, though it looks like mineral fiber of some sort.