Europe

Cladding Used In Grenfell Tower Will No Longer Be Sold For High-Rises

Arconic says it'll stop selling Reynobond PE panels for use in high-rise buildings.

Cladding Used In Grenfell Tower Will No Longer Be Sold For High-Rises
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The company behind the cladding that's been blamed for the spread of the Grenfell Tower fire announced it'll stop selling that product for high-rise buildings.

At least 79 people were killed in the London fire earlier this month. Though it was sparked by a faulty refrigerator, the building's cladding failed safety tests and has been blamed for how quickly the fire grew.

Grenfell Tower was covered with Reynobond PE panels. It's a type of aluminum cladding with a plastic core, made by Arconic.

Germany and the U.S. have banned the panels' use in high-rise buildings, but other countries, including the U.K., haven't.

Arconic guidelines specify the material shouldn't be used on buildings taller than about 30 feet.

However, emails reported on by Reuters show some at the company knew Reynobond PE panels were being put on Grenfell Tower, even though the building was about 200 feet tall.

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Fire safety checks are ongoing around the U.K. As of Monday, 75 buildings had failed tests, and thousands of people have already been evacuated.

More than 80 tower complexes around the country reportedly have cladding similar to what was used in Grenfell Tower.