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SkyCity fire - Expert Reaction
SkyCity fire - Expert Reaction
A fire in the
under-construction SkyCity convention centre has burnt
through the
night.
Reports
suggest it was started as a result of construction work and
the fire caught in the seven-storey building's
roof.
The SMC gathered expert comment on the fire, feel free to use these comments in your reporting.
Dr Geoff
Thomas, School of Architecture, Victoria University of
Wellington,
comments:
"The Sky City fire occurred during construction, which is one of the three most dangerous times for a building in terms of fire safety, the other two being during alterations and demolition.
"The reasons these are the most dangerous times, is because that fire safety systems such as automatic fire sprinklers, automatic fire detection such as heat or smoke detection may not have been installed or are isolated (turned off) through all, or the part of the building where the building work is being carried out. Fire resistant separations between floors and to fire escape stairs may not be in place or are incomplete. At the same time hot work procedures such as cutting, grinding, welding, and torch on roofing may be taking place.
"The video I have seen from the media appears to show the roof cladding itself burning. This implies that rather than being a steel or concrete roof it is a membrane which are normally a form of modified bitumen. This product is similar to the tar used on roads, and is combustible, but difficult to ignite. Some types of modified bitumen membrane roofs are 'torched on' using gas torches or have seams that are joined after heating from a gas torch.
"It is not possible to ascertain the cause of the fire at this time, however there have been unconfirmed reports in the media that a 'blow torch type tool was being used on a rubber waterproofing membrane'. The same report FENZ area commander Geoff Purcell was stated as saying 'the fire…was being fuelled by straw-like material sandwiched between the waterproof roof and plywood ceiling'.
"When such work is being carried out, precautions to avoid fire including checking for flammable materials prior to using a gas torch and providing suitable portable extinguishers is recommended. This is a possible cause of this fire, but is certainly not the only one and the facts should become apparent after Fire and Emergency New Zealand complete the fire investigation.
"Thankfully there were no public in the building at the time and all the workers managed to escape safely. This may not necessarily be the case in a building undergoing alteration, with other occupants in the building, especially if the conditions of the Certificate of Public Use are not adhered to. It has been known during alterations for contractors to take shortcuts such as unnecessarily isolating fire alarm systems, not replacing fire doors into stairwells or removing door closers to fire doors protecting stairwells.
Conflict of interest statement: I was engaged by Fletcher Construction to act as a regulatory peer reviewer for Certificate of Public Use applications for a past project. I have also worked as a peer review for fire engineering design on other Fletcher Construction projects, although I am not currently engaged by Fletcher Construction.
Professor John
Tookey, School of Engineering, Computer & Mathematical
Science, AUT,
comments:
"Construction is
a risky business both financially and physically.
Yesterday’s fire at the new convention centre in Auckland
underlined this once again. Commercial construction sites
have a range of risk factors coming together to make fire a
serious threat. Subcontracted companies and operatives
working for short periods in unfamiliar environments.
Potentially dangerous processes involving cutting and
forming of materials at high temperatures. Combustible
materials either awaiting installation as new additions, or
removal as waste offcuts. Incomplete fire suppression
systems awaiting commission – so a fire once started is
harder to fight. All conspire to present extensive fire
hazards on any commercial construction site.
"There has been a substantial litany of construction related fires to hit major projects globally over recent years. Renovators at Windsor Castle in the UK caused a huge fire that burned for 12 hours. Similarly, workers on the reconstruction of the Mackintosh School of Art in Glasgow started a fire that almost completed destroyed this architectural icon. Ironically the reconstruction work was needed to repair the effects of a previous accidental blaze. Most recently the world looked on in horror as renovations work at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris resulted in damage likely to take decades to make good.
"The ramifications of the SkyCity Convention Centre fire are yet to be established. Losses as a result of the direct effects of the fire are set to be huge. The consequential effects of smoke and water damage are likely to be every bit as substantial if not more. When these losses and the business-related cashflow impact of cancelled conferences etc are calculated, the final bill could see the sky as the limit.
"In the final analysis, the future of the SkyCity project is in the hands of the underwriters and loss adjusters involved. The convention centre has been a ground zero for the financial exposure of Fletcher Construction over recent years. There is no doubt that the company is very keen to see the back of this project. However, it is not hard to imagine that this troubled project is likely to see a future sequence of litigation related to liability. Unfortunately, this is one set to run and run."
No conflict of interest declared.
Science Media Centre NZ
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