Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral, widely used throughout the 20th century because of its unique properties including resistance to heat, fire, and chemicals. Given its durability and insulating capabilities, it became the material of choice for many industries and was used in a variety of products and structures.
Its popularity and heat resistance meant that asbestos was a key component in insulation for pipes, boilers and was also used for fire protection purposes. Asbestos as a product is very versatile as a binding agent when other chemicals/materials are added and hence it was used in products such as ceiling tiles, floor tiles, roofing shingles, cement undercloaking, decorative coatings, joint compound and spray-applied fireproofing, WC seats, switches, cisterns and more.
As we now know, despite its advantages, asbestos was later found to be extremely hazardous to human health. When asbestos fibres become airborne and are inhaled, they can lodge in the lungs and cause serious illnesses such as asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.
Despite regulation eradicating asbestos use in 1999, its previously widespread use in construction means it still poses a challenge in refurbishments and management of older buildings. Seeking the correct advice at the outset on removal or maintenance is critical to the feasibility of a project and significantly impacts on an architect’s design proposal.
Why is Asbestos still an issue in buildings and important for refurbishment schemes?
Although asbestos removal, encapsulation and management methods have improved over the decades, asbestos-based materials are still susceptible to deterioration and damage. This is particularly prevalent in the education sector, health, heavy industry and retail where its use was popular. Generally, lack of build documentation or document retention for past projects / buildings mean that finding asbestos in older buildings needs specialist, intrusive surveys to allow the correct action plan to be devised for the scheme or building.
While the use of asbestos is strictly controlled or banned in over 60 countries, it poses an ongoing challenge for architects. Asbestos used in fire doors and fire compartmentation materials is continually considered in the re-modelling of buildings as fire strategies change.
Although the “duty to manage” asbestos hasn’t seen significantly changes recently, the Grenfell fire disaster and the following changes to building regulations, responsibilities and emphasis to “the Golden Thread of Information” means that asbestos must be managed if left in buildings or correct and full documentation completed around its removal.
Because asbestos-based materials will be around and in buildings for years to come, architects need full awareness of the product, its complexities and challenges.