Cornwall College Camborne have been forced to close their Penhaligon building after it was identified to have crumbling concrete in its roof.   

Situated on the western side of the campus, the Penhaligon building’s vulnerable roof has resulted in the college being added to the latest Department of Education (DfE) list of schools and colleges to have reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).  

Cornwall College Camborne is one of England’s 214 sites included in the list to have confirmed cases of RAAC in some of their buildings.  

It is the first and only Cornish school or college to feature in the recently updated list reported on October 16, which saw 41 additional locations since the previous list published was last month.  

RAAC is a lightweight, easy-to-mold concrete first used in construction back in the 1950s.  

It was seen as a cheaper alternative to traditional reinforced concrete and was mainly used for roofing.   

However, several decades later the weaknesses of the material began to become more apparent. It was determined that its lifespan would not exceed 30 years.   

Used until the 1990s, RAAC was seen to be a lot less durable than standard concrete and was vulnerable to failure due to its ability to crumble when exposed to moisture.   

A spokesperson for the Cornwall College Group said: “Following an inspection by the Department for Education independent initial survey team, Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete has been found in part of the roof in the Penhaligon building.”  

The spokesperson continued: “Thankfully, there was no other RAAC identified anywhere else at the campus or across the whole of The Cornwall College Group.  

“As part of our own mitigation and advice from the DfE, all staff and students from the building have been immediately relocated, with the majority moving to brand new spaces that have come online as part of the multi-million-pound redevelopment of our Camborne campus with no interruption to their learning.   

“We have been reassured by the DfE that they will now deal will the necessary rectification works.”