WOBO thanks IFSEC Global for the link to the article by Ron Alalouff.
The fire at the 18-storey Torre del Moro in Milan in late August – which ripped through the exterior cladding of the building – was “a disaster waiting to happen” and shared many of the features of the blaze at Grenfell Tower, according to a preliminary report by a chartered building and fire engineer.
The Torre del Moro was a striking-looking residential tower completed in 2011. It consisted of a rectangular structural core, with curved ‘sails’ made up from lightweight steel attached to the long sides of the building. Located between the sails and the core were balconies, the decks of which horizontally divided what would otherwise have been an open space between the outer walls of the core, within which the living accommodation is contained, and the inner wall of the sails.
Frances Maria Peacock’s report says the fire at the residential tower on 29 August could have been caused by an electrical short circuit in a flat on the 15th floor, though the cause and origin of the fire are still under investigation. It then spread to the balcony from where, due to the proximity of an abundance of ACM (Aluminium Composite Material) cladding, the fire took hold in minutes. The fire also quickly spread downwards and sideways, eventually destroying the entire sail and affecting the cladding on the structural columns, which extended up the full height of the building. Combustible material at roof level and the intensity of the heat enabled the fire to spread to the sail on the opposite side of the building. Read more…
Milan tower block blaze preliminary report: “A disaster waiting to happen”
Ron Alalouff
To request a copy of the report email: olympusfiresafety@gmail.com