Green Building Forum - Building fire in Valencia, Spain Thu, 30 Apr 2026 22:26:02 +0100 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/ Lussumo Vanilla 1.0.3 Building fire in Valencia, Spain https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18097&Focus=305421#Comment_305421 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18097&Focus=305421#Comment_305421 Sat, 24 Feb 2024 12:47:08 +0000 marktime
Construction was concrete block inner facade exterior covered with rockwool, a cavity then a sandwich of two plates of aluminium with 50 mm of synthetic material in between. No details of this material yet.

9 confirmed dead, one other unaccounted for.]]> Building fire in Valencia, Spain https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18097&Focus=305423#Comment_305423 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18097&Focus=305423#Comment_305423 Sat, 24 Feb 2024 20:00:08 +0000 Peter_in_Hungary
Wait for the investigation results and then the panic because this might affect who knows how many high-rise that weren't insulated the way of Grenfell.

First thoughts are that cavities are not a good idea on high-rise facades !]]> Building fire in Valencia, Spain https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18097&Focus=305424#Comment_305424 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18097&Focus=305424#Comment_305424 Sat, 24 Feb 2024 20:56:28 +0000 tony Building fire in Valencia, Spain https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18097&Focus=305429#Comment_305429 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18097&Focus=305429#Comment_305429 Sun, 25 Feb 2024 07:27:49 +0000 Peter_in_Hungary Posted By: tonyAluminium can burn and if/when it does it produces crazy amounts of heat, it is difficult but not impossible to ignite.
Aluminium will need in excess of 1000 deg. to ignite and won't sustain combustion without additional heat and oxygen (according to a google search) however these requirements may be met if the sandwich material was flammable and the chimney effect of the cavity managed to combine to give the required circumstance for the aluminium to burn - which leads me to

Posted By: Peter_in_HungaryFirst thoughts are that cavities are not a good idea on high-rise facades !


The other ingredients, concrete and rockwool are considered non combustible.]]> Building fire in Valencia, Spain https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18097&Focus=305431#Comment_305431 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18097&Focus=305431#Comment_305431 Sun, 25 Feb 2024 10:46:18 +0000 djh Building fire in Valencia, Spain https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18097&Focus=305433#Comment_305433 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18097&Focus=305433#Comment_305433 Sun, 25 Feb 2024 11:29:27 +0000 WillInAberdeen
Aluminium does burn when powdered, look for a video of it being used to weld rail tracks together.]]> Building fire in Valencia, Spain https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18097&Focus=305434#Comment_305434 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18097&Focus=305434#Comment_305434 Sun, 25 Feb 2024 13:48:02 +0000 marktime Building fire in Valencia, Spain https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18097&Focus=305456#Comment_305456 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=18097&Focus=305456#Comment_305456 Wed, 28 Feb 2024 15:27:58 +0000 borpin
That picture shows the rockwool/concrete surviving.

I noted a long time ago that in Grenfell, the metal windows had been replaced with UPVC. Of course, the glazing will matter, but if the frame is plastic, that will go first.]]>