Approximately 24 per cent of buildings across the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) have Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC), also known as Siporex, an aging and problematic building material, as part of their structure.
That is 18 out of 78 schools across the board that have RAAC as part of their structure.
The aging aerated concrete material was the centre of the problems plaguing the Ontario Science Centre, forcing it to close last month. The provincial government announced the closure of the Ontario Science Centre on June 21 due to structural issues and concerns over a possible roof collapse.
A report released by the Toronto Star on June 25 showed that Ontario’s Ministry of Education is now monitoring 360 schools across the province for RAAC which was used in structures from the 1950s to 1980s.
“On a monthly basis, UCDSB staff monitors for issues with this material, such as delamination, slab deflection, leaks, and cracks,” said April Scott-Clarke, the manager of communications with the UCDSs. “If localized concerns are found, the UCDSB commissions an external structural engineer to review and provide a report and/or recommendations, which we act on.”
Eight of the 42 schools in the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario (CDSBEO) have RAAC in at least part of their structure. A post on the CDSBEO website details which school are impacted and includes St. Mary-St. Cecilia Catholic School in Morrisburg, St. Mary Catholic School in Chesterville, Holy Cross Catholic School in Kemptville, Sacred Heart of Jesus in Lanark, St. John Paul II Catholic School in Russell, St. Joseph Catholic School in Gananoque, St. Luke Catholic High School in Smiths Falls and St. Mary Catholic School in Carleton Place.
While other boards have provided a list of schools that have RAAC as part of their structure, the UCDSB has not provided schools that have been affected.
“In sites where Siporex is part of the roof structure, staff monitor snow loads during winter months and removes snow if required to reduce the weight load,” said Scott-Clarke in a statement provided to The Vision. “On a 5-year interval, the UCDSB commissions a comprehensive structural engineer review of all sites. These processes have been in place for many years, and provides a safe environment for students, staff, and community.”
Follow up questions with the UCDSB requesting which schools across the board have RAAC as part of their structure went unanswered. No information was provided at the time of publishing.
