September 2020

Viewpoint
INSTALLING AT-HEIGHT BALCONIES
AND TERRACES TO BS 8579
By Julian Thurbin, Director at Wallbarn.
Anew British Standard, which aims to
address the fire performance of at-height
balconies and terraces, is a welcome step
in a very positive direction to prevent or reduce the
severity of blazes involving residential multi-storey
buildings.
Work on BS 8579 Guide to the Design of
Balconies and Terraces began well before the
2019 fires in multi-storey buildings including The
Cube in Bolton, De Pass Gardens in Barking and
Worcester Park, south west London, underlining
how relevant the new standard will be.
The standard will support Approved Document B
in the prohibition of combustible materials on
new high-rise homes. It is believed that all
construction elements for balconies and terraces
located more than 18m above ground level will
have to be non-combustible.
Confusion created
However, we are concerned that its introduction
has created some confusion within the market
and opened the door for inferior quality, noncompliant
products to be installed in the place of
tried-and-tested, quality building and roofing
materials. We feel it would be a travesty if, in a
move to improve safety standards, lower
performance products find acceptance with
contractors.
Our sector – pedestal systems which support
suspended balcony and terrace decking/paving –
is a good example of this. Traditionally, pedestals
were heavy duty polypropylene plastic but to
satisfy BS 8579 they will have to be metal when
installed at height. These products are available
– Wallbarn has developed MetalPad, an allmetal,
Class A1 rated pedestal that is fully
compliant with BS 8579 – but we know that
systems have come to market that are seemingly
compliant but have rubber or
plastic elements labelled as
‘gaskets’. These gaskets
shouldn’t be included, in our
opinion, and pose a fire
risk.
Quality and testing concerns
We are also concerned
about the quality and
testing regimes of
some metal pedestal
solutions. From sampling the
market we worry that not all products offer the
level of performance we feel is required, with
some pedestals modified from interior usage.
There’s also the question of product testing, a
crucial factor given these systems are used atheight.
Load-bearing is critical. However, our
advice is always to consult with your original
supplier (whatever the product and even if they
do not supply a Class A alternative) to at least
understand the questions you should be asking of
a new supplier.
This situation has the potential to affect a wide
range of building components within balcony and
The Metalpad Pedestal
Wallbarn’s new Metalpad pedestal (above) is
rated non-combustible Class A1 to BS EN
13501-1 and has been specifically designed
for exterior high-rise balconies, terraces and
flat roofs. The product is manufactured from
2mm thick galvanised steel and has a solid
stem for superior weight tolerances – over
1,000kg per pedestal. The manufacturer has
more than 40 years’ experience in the market
and prides itself on developing solutions that
are fully tested and fit for purpose.
Left: The Metalpad Pedestal
from Wallbarn.
terrace construction. We are
receiving high volumes of calls from
construction professionals confused about the
current regulatory situation and the products that
can – and cannot – be considered. We’ve also
heard reports of completed and fully legal
multi-storey projects being revised,
with materials removed post signoff
and replaced with Class A
systems, in extreme cases across an
entire build and not just 18m and above.
Designed for purpose
Product provenance is also an issue to be
considered; recent industry talk suggests that
imported product was rejected by two main
contractors upon arrival at site due to quality
concerns. It is good to hear that, despite the
inevitable project delays and additional costs
such action would have created, quality was
considered more important. Again, our advice is
to ask the right questions during specification to
ensure that the solution selected is designed for
purpose, fully tested and supplied by a trusted
partner.
Post-Grenfell, with duty of care being a shared
responsibility throughout the design, supply and
installation chain, contractors installing pedestals
at-height must be assured that their product of
choice can withstand the rigours and loadings of
exterior locations. System failure at height has
the potential for tragic consequences.
Contact Wallbarn
020 8916 2222
www.wallbarn.com
@wallbarn
30 TC SEPTEMBER 2020