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ACP is a non-load bearing material that is used in construction to provide a degree of thermal insulation and weather resistance but is ultimately used to improve the appearance of buildings. It is very popular with architects and designers because of the inherent architectural features, ease of application, and also its comparative cost to other materials. Development of ‘composite panels’ has a mean of providing a cheap, lightweight, weathertight, insulated building envelope, rapidly erected over the interior structure. Aluminum composite panels (or ACP) are a form of external building cladding using two thin skins of aluminum panels bonded to a non-aluminum core. While there are numerous types, generally speaking they can be split into three more commonly recognized categories: PE Cores – these contain a 100% polyethylene (PE) core – FR Cores – these contain a composite material made up of a higher percentage (between 70% and 90%) of fire retardant mineral wool, with the balance being polyethylene. They are commonly known as Fire Retardant (or FR) panels. – Aluminum Cores – generally these contain an aluminum honeycomb core, but there are also panels made of solid aluminum as well. ACP should not be confused with other types of cladding such as EPS (Sandwich Boards), Exterior Insulation and Finishing Systems (EIFS), or Green board, which are based on an expanded polystyrene or polyurethane core.

Notorious ACP Fires, (Internationally)

The origins of fire in some cased was due to other reason, bit ACP became the medium of fire
travel and wide scale damage and destruction.

Year Building/City/Country Fire Origin Deaths

1991 Knowsley Height, Liverpool Burnining rubbish outside the building None

1999 Garnock, Scotland Cigarette Butt 1

2004 Television Cul Ctr, Beijing, Fireworks 7 injury

2010 Shanghai, China Welding Works 58/70

2010 Roubaix, France !st Floor Balcony 7

2012 Saif Belhasa B’lding, Dubai Not Known 2

2012 Tamweel Tower, Dubai Cigarette Butt None

2014 Lacrosse, Melbourne, A/C unit on the balcony of a 2nd floor None

Feb-2015 The Torch, Dubai Bar be cue None

Nov-2015 The Torch, Dubai Cigarette Butt None

2016 The Address, Dubai From 20th floor suit to External Claddings None

2017 Grenfell Tower, London From 4th floor fridge to External Claddings 71

Fire Safety Regulation in the UAE:

Fire safety regulation in Dubai is described in the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice (2011), also known as the Civil Defence Fire Code, which is effective in all the Emirates. Its intention is to minimise the risk of fire and to ensure the safety of life and property, unlike UK Building Regulations, which are almost exclusively concerned with life safety, rather than property protection. The code is substantially based on NFPA standards (USA), adapted for local purposes. However, elements of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Code of Practice, the International Code Council (also USA), British Standards, European Standards and the Singapore Fire Code are also incorporated. One commentator has said “… the context and enforcement mechanisms in which those codes developed are often missing or lacking in comprehensive application.” [in Gulf building regulation] [44] In the Civil Defence Fire Code there are 22 classifications of buildings: six definitions based on height, 14 based on function and two on multi-purpose use. The provisions of the code apply to “Lowrise, Midrise and Highrise buildings”, defined as: Lowrise <15m above level of fire service access; Midrise 15-23m above level of fire service access; Highrise >23m above level of fire service access. New buildings across the UAE must be fitted with non-combustible cladding that better halts the spread of flames, as the authorities seek to improve standards following a series of alarming high-rise blazes. Details from the updated UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice were broken down for global and local manufacturers, distributors, engineers and architects. “What the code has done this time is taken it one step higher and pushed the industry to use the highest-grade cladding material, even higher than what was used in the past. It makes absolutely sure we are moving from the limited combustible range to the non-combustible range. What they have done is essentially raised the bar for the material required in the core. The core must now consist of the highest quality fire-retardant minerals that actually limit the spread of a fire. The requirement now is the highest grade of aluminum composite panels to be used on buildings. The outer two layers of the panels are skins of aluminum and the core is a composite of polymer and mineral. What manufacturers are using now is a fire-retardant mineral which when it degrades, gives off water that takes energy and heat out of a fire. And if heat is taken out of the fire, one reduces its propagation. The new grade material also has a low level of polymer that is down to 10-12 per cent from 100 per cent earlier. The core has to be tested alongside the full scale system so the components and the system must be submitted for approvals, earlier it may not have been enforced as much. As additional precaution, cladding materials will be allowed to be used on the first few floors and though the ideal height for civil defense equipment to cover is 18 floors. Yet, as a matter of additional precaution, cladding will be allowed without conditions up to half of this height or eight to 10 floors. As for higher floors, it would require separation of aluminum facades with concrete in the middle to create a barrier to the spread of fire. The change of standards have been adopted in 2013, and the risks cladding fire has been reduced, considerably. Since the World Trade Center was completed in 1979, Dubai achieved such extraordinary growth that 134 skyscrapers exceeded its 149m height prior to the change of standards in 2013 and cladding here may not be very satisfactory and would pose a considerable fire risk. The underwriting treatment here has to be radically different. Besides, ‘Local Authorities Clause’ also would should be underwritten with lot of care.