RAAC repair Archives - Michael Aubrey Structural Engineers

RAAC Repair

Winning the Innovation Award at the HSBC / FSB Small Business Growth Awards last night was a proud moment for our team but more importantly, it reflects the growing need to solve a very real and pressing challenge across the UK: RAAC (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete).

RAAC has become a significant concern in many buildings, raising questions around safety, disruption, and cost. Traditional approaches often lean towards extensive intervention or even demolition. But in live environments, schools, hospitals, and commercial buildings, that’s rarely practical.

Our focus has been different.

Rather than removing the problem entirely, we’ve developed an in-situ RAAC repair solution using FRP (Fibre Reinforced Polymer). This approach allows structures to be strengthened without demolition, reducing both cost and disruption while keeping buildings operational.

This is where innovation matters most, not in theory, but in application. It’s about taking a complex structural issue and finding a way to make it workable in the real world, on real projects, with real constraints.

The success of this solution is down to the team behind it. It’s taken a combination of technical expertise, creative thinking, and persistence to bring it from concept to practical use on site.

Recognition from HSBC and the Federation of Small Businesses is hugely appreciated but the real reward is seeing this approach being used to make buildings safer, more efficiently.

As RAAC continues to present challenges, the industry needs solutions that are not just innovative but deliverable.

RAAC Doesn’t Mean Demolition!

For months, the headlines have said the same thing: “RAAC is Dangerous – Demolish Now”

Schools, offices, and public buildings have been shut down. Emergency funds are being thrown at rebuilds. Entire communities are being displaced. But here’s what’s not being said loudly enough:

RAAC Doesn’t Automatically Mean Demolition

RAAC Fix

There is another way – and we’ve already proven it.

Our team has engineered a robust, long-term RAAC repair solution using Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP). It’s fast to install, structurally certified, and already successfully implemented on a live site – under critical infrastructure, no less.

The Result?

A building that had been propped up for three years – with limited access and severely reduced functionality – was made structurally sound.

No Relocation. No Disruption. No Huge Cost

Too often, RAAC fixes are dismissed as “temporary” or not worth the effort. But our CFRP method isn’t a patch. It’s a permanent reinforcement strategy that delivers the performance and reliability needed to bring buildings back to full use – safely and efficiently.