By Juliet Linderman, Jason Dearen and Jeff Martin, The Associated Press
In promotional brochures, a U.S. company boasted of the “stunning visual effect” its shimmering aluminum panels created in an NFL stadium, an Alaskan high school and a luxury hotel along Baltimore’s Inner Harbor that “soars 33 stories into the air.”
Those same panels — Reynobond composite material with a polyethylene core — also were used in the Grenfell Tower apartment building in London. British authorities say they’re investigating whether the panels helped spread the blaze that ripped across the building’s outer walls, killing at least 80 people.
The panels, also called cladding, accentuate a building’s appearance and also improve energy efficiency. But they are not recommended for use in buildings above 40 feet because they are combustible. In the wake of last month’s fire at the 24-story, 220-foot-high tower in London, Arconic Inc. announced it would no longer make the product available for high-rise buildings.
Determining which buildings might be wrapped in the material in the United States is difficult. City inspectors and building owners might not even know. In some cases, building records have been long discarded and neither the owners, operators, contractors nor architects involved could or would confirm whether the cladding was used.
That makes it virtually impossible to know whether such structures as the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront hotel — identified by Arconic’s brochures as wrapped in Reynobond PE — are actually clad in the same material as Grenfell Tower, which was engulfed in flames in less than five minutes.
At a Thursday news conference that followed the publication of The Associated Press’ story on the use of the cladding material in the U.S., Cleveland’s chief building official confirmed that panels on the city-owned Cleveland Browns’ football stadium are “similar if not identical” to those used on the doomed London tower, but said they pose “zero risk to the fans.”
Thomas Vanover said the panels were installed differently and the venue’s overall cladding includes many materials.
“From these panels and this installation, there’s no risk of anything remotely close to the Grenfell tragedy,” Vanover said.
The International Building Code adopted by the U.S. requires more stringent fire testing of materials used on the sides of buildings taller than 40 feet. However, states and cities can set their own rules, said Keith Nelson, senior project architect with Intertek, a worldwide fire testing organization.
The National Fire Protection Association conducts fire resistance tests on building materials to determine whether they comply with the international code. Robert Solomon, an engineer with the association, told the AP that the group’s records show the U.S.-made Arconic panels never underwent the tests. For that reason, he said, the group considered the products unsafe for use in buildings higher than 40 feet.
Tests conducted by the British government after the Grenfell fire found samples of cladding material used on 75 buildings failed combustibility tests.
Alastair Grant, The Associated Press
A view of the charred facade of the Grenfell Tower in London, Thursday, June 15, 2017. A massive fire raced through the 24-story high-rise apartment building in west London early Wednesday.
Frank Augstein, The Associated Press
Firemen examine inside the Grenfell Tower in London as firefighters continue to damp-down the deadly fire, Thursday, June 15, 2017. A massive fire raced through the 24-storey high-rise apartment building in west London early Wednesday, and London fire commissioner says it will take weeks for the building to be searched and "cleared."
Matt Dunham, The Associated Press
Smoke and flames rise from a building on fire in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Metropolitan Police in London say they're continuing to evacuate people from a massive apartment fire in west London. The fire has been burning for more than three hours and stretches from the second to the 27th floor of the building.
Leon Neal, Getty Images
A general view of the burning 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London on June 14, 2017 in London, England. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has declared the fire a major incident as more than 200 firefighters are still tackling the blaze, while at least 50 people are receiving hospital treatment.
Alastair Grant, The Associated Press
A fire officer looks at debris in a high rise apartment block on fire, in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Firefighters are battling a huge blaze at a west London high-rise block that houses more than 100 apartments.
Alastair Grant, The Associated Press
A forensic team moves an empty stretcher past resting fire crew members, near the scene of a fire at a high rise apartment block, in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Firefighters are battling a huge blaze at a west London high-rise block that houses more than 100 apartments.
Jack Taylor, Getty Images
Water is sprayed on to the building after a huge fire engulfed the 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London in the early hours of this morning on June 14, 2017 in London, England. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has declared the fire a major incident as more than 200 firefighters are still tackling the blaze while at least six are dead and 20 are in critical care.
Frank Augstein, The Associated Press
A man wearing a mask for protection from the smoke, stands on a balcony and looks at the high-rise apartment building where a massive fire raged, in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. A deadly overnight fire raced through a 24-story apartment tower in London on Wednesday, killing at least six people and injuring more than 70 others.
Rick Findler, PA via AP
Local resident Georgina stands distraught on her balcony after a fire engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower, in west London, Wednesday June 14, 2017. Fire swept through a high-rise apartment building in west London early Wednesday, killing an unknown number of people with around 50 people being taken to hospital.
Carl Court, Getty Images
Fire fighters drench the burning 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London on June 14, 2017 in London, England. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has declared the fire a major incident as more than 200 firefighters are still tackling the blaze while at least 50 people are receiving hospital treatment.
Leon Neal, Getty Images
A woman looks out at the 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London in the early hours of this morning on June 14, 2017 in London, England. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has declared the fire a major incident as more than 200 firefighters are still tackling the blaze, while at least 50 people are receiving hospital treatment.
Adrian Dennis, AFP/Getty Images
Flames and smoke continue to engulf Grenfell Tower, a residential block of flats in west London on June 14, 2017, as firefighters continue to control a fire that started in the early hours of the morning.
At least six people were killed Wednesday when a massive fire tore through a London apartment block in the middle of the night, with witnesses reporting terrified people had leapt from the 24-storey tower. The tower was built as public housing and is located in a working-class but rapidly gentrifying part of the mostly wealthy Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
Leon Neal, Getty Images
Fire fighters use a riot shield as protection from falling rubble at the 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London in the early hours of this morning on June 14, 2017 in London, England. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has declared the fire a major incident as more than 200 firefighters are still tackling the blaze, while at least 50 people are receiving hospital treatment.
Matt Dunham, The Associated Press
Firefighters take a break from fighting a fire that raged in a high-rise apartment building in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Fire swept through a high-rise apartment building in west London early Wednesday, killing an unknown number of people and sending more than 50 people to area hospitals.
Matt Dunham, The Associated Press
Firefighters rest as they take a break in battling a massive fire that raged in a 27-floor high-rise apartment building in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Fire swept through a high-rise apartment building in west London early Wednesday, killing an unknown number of people and sending more than 50 people to area hospitals.
Victoria Jones, PA via AP
Yaz who is awaiting news of her friend who was caught up in a fire that engulfed the 24-storey engulfed Grenfell Tower in west London, Wednesday June 14, 2017. Fire swept through a high-rise apartment building in west London early Wednesday, killing an unknown number of people with around 50 people being taken to hospital.
Matt Dunham, The Associated Press
Charred debris is strewn across the floor after a massive fire raged in a 27-floor high-rise apartment building in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Fire swept through a high-rise apartment building in west London early Wednesday, killing an unknown number of people and sending more than 50 people to area hospitals.
Victoria Jones, PA via AP
Smoke billows from a fire that has engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in west London, Wednesday June 14, 2017. Fire swept through a high-rise apartment building in west London early Wednesday, killing an unknown number of people with around 50 people being taken to hospital.
Matt Dunham, The Associated Press
Firefighters in place as they battle a massive fire that raged in a high-rise apartment building in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Fire swept through a high-rise apartment building in west London early Wednesday, killing an unknown number of people and sending more than 50 people to area hospitals.
Daniel Leal-olivas, AFP/Getty Images
Smoke billows from Grenfell Tower as firefighters attempt to control a huge blaze on June 14, 2017 in west London.
The massive fire ripped through the 27-storey apartment block in west London in the early hours of Wednesday, trapping residents inside as 200 firefighters battled the blaze. Police and fire services attempted to evacuate the concrete block and said "a number of people are being treated for a range of injuries", including at least two for smoke inhalation.
Jonathan Brady, PA via AP
Members of the public bring spare beds and other items to Notting Hill Methodist Church to assist people affected by a fire that engulfed the Grenfell Tower, a high-rise apartment building on fire in west London Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Fire swept through the high-rise apartment building early Wednesday, sending dozens people to area hospitals.
Carl Court, Getty Images
Signs asking for donations are seen outside the Notting Hill methodist Chruch June 14, 2017 in London, England. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has declared the fire a major incident as more than 200 firefighters are still tackling the blaze, while at least 50 people are receiving hospital treatment.
Carl Court, Getty Images
People sort donated clothes at a five-a-side pitch at Westway sports centre near the burning 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London on June 14, 2017 in London, England. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has declared the fire a major incident as more than 200 firefighters are still tackling the blaze while at least 50 people are receiving hospital treatment.
Frank Augstein, The Associated Press
Smoke and flames rise from a building on fire in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Metropolitan Police in London say they're continuing to evacuate people from a massive apartment fire in west London. The fire has been burning for more than three hours and stretches from the second to the 27th floor of the building.
Carl Court, Getty Images
A young girl wears a protective face mask near the burning 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London on June 14, 2017 in London, England. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has declared the fire a major incident as more than 200 firefighters are still tackling the blaze while at least 50 people are receiving hospital treatment.
Gurbuz Binici , Getty Images
In this image taken by eyewitness Gurbuz Binici, a huge fire engulfs the 24 story Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road, West London in the early hours of this morning on June 14, 2017 in London, England. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has declared the fire a major incident. Fatalities have been confirmed and at least 50 people are receiving hospital treatment.
Daniel Leal-olivas, AFP/Getty Images
Local residents watch as Grenfell Tower is engulfed by fire on June 14, 2017 in west London.
The massive fire ripped through the 27-storey apartment block in west London in the early hours of Wednesday, trapping residents inside as 200 firefighters battled the blaze. Police and fire services attempted to evacuate the concrete block and said "a number of people are being treated for a range of injuries", including at least two for smoke inhalation.
Daniel Leal-olivas, AFP/Getty Images
A firefighter walks past the security cordon after a huge fire engulfed Grenfell Tower, a residential block on June 14, 2017 in west London.
The massive fire ripped through the 27-storey apartment block in west London in the early hours of Wednesday, trapping residents inside as 200 firefighters battled the blaze. Police and fire services attempted to evacuate the concrete block and said "a number of people are being treated for a range of injuries", including at least two for smoke inhalation.
Matt Dunham, The Associated Press
Smoke and flames rise from a building on fire in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Metropolitan Police in London say they're continuing to evacuate people from a massive apartment fire in west London. The fire has been burning for more than three hours and stretches from the second to the 27th floor of the building.
Matt Dunham, The Associated Press
A person peers out of a window from a building on fire in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Metropolitan Police in London say they're continuing to evacuate people from a massive apartment fire in west London. The fire has been burning for more than three hours and stretches from the second to the 27th floor of the building.
Matt Dunham, The Associated Press
Smoke and flames rise from a building on fire in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Metropolitan Police in London say they're continuing to evacuate people from a massive apartment fire in west London. The fire has been burning for more than three hours and stretches from the second to the 27th floor of the building.
Matt Dunham, The Associated Press
Smoke and flames rise from a building on fire in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Metropolitan Police in London say they're continuing to evacuate people from a massive apartment fire in west London. The fire has been burning for more than three hours and stretches from the second to the 27th floor of the building.
Daniel Leal-olivas, AFP/Getty Images
A woman runs near paramedics working at a huge fire at the Grenfell Tower early June 14, 2017 in west London.
The massive fire ripped through a 27-storey apartment block in west London in the early hours of Wednesday, trapping residents inside as 200 firefighters battled the blaze. Police and fire services attempted to evacuate the concrete block and said "a number of people are being treated for a range of injuries", including at least two for smoke inhalation.
Daniel Leal-olivas, AFP/Getty Images
Members of the emergency services carry oxygen tanks as a huge blaze engulfs Grenfell Tower, a residential tower block on June 14, 2017 in west London.
The massive fire ripped through the 27-storey apartment block in west London in the early hours of Wednesday, trapping residents inside as 200 firefighters battled the blaze. Police and fire services attempted to evacuate the concrete block and said "a number of people are being treated for a range of injuries", including at least two for smoke inhalation.
Gurbuz Binici , Getty Images
In this image taken by eyewitness Gurbuz Binici, a huge fire engulfs the 24 story Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road, West London in the early hours of this morning on June 14, 2017 in London, England. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has declared the fire a major incident. Fatalities have been confirmed and at least 50 people are receiving hospital treatment.
Daniel Leal-olivas, AFP/Getty Images
Flames and smoke engulf Grenfell Tower, a residential block on June 14, 2017 in west London.
The massive fire ripped through the 27-storey apartment block in west London in the early hours of Wednesday, trapping residents inside as 200 firefighters battled the blaze. Police and fire services attempted to evacuate the concrete block and said "a number of people are being treated for a range of injuries", including at least two for smoke inhalation.
Daniel Leal-olivas, AFP/Getty Images
Members of the emergency services are parked by Grenfell Tower, a residential block which was engulfed by a huge fire on June 14, 2017 in west London.
The massive fire ripped through the 27-storey apartment block in west London in the early hours of Wednesday, trapping residents inside as 200 firefighters battled the blaze. Police and fire services attempted to evacuate the concrete block and said "a number of people are being treated for a range of injuries", including at least two for smoke inhalation.
Natalie Oxford, AFP/Getty Images
This handout image received by local resident Natalie Oxford early on June 14, 2017 shows flames and smoke coming from a 27-storey block of flats after a fire broke out in west London.
The fire brigade said 40 fire engines and 200 firefighters had been called to the blaze in Grenfell Tower, which has 120 flats.
Emergency service responders and local people gather at a cordon near the site of a massive fire in west London Wednesday, June 14, 2017. A fire raced through a high-rise apartment building early Wednesday, emergency officials said. (Rick Findler/PA via AP)
Smoke billows from a high-rise apartment building in west London Wednesday, June 14, 2017. A massive fire raced through the building early Wednesday, emergency officials said. (Rick Findler/PA via AP)
In this photo taken from video, smoke rises from a high-rise apartment building on fire in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. A massive fire raced through the 27-story high-rise apartment building in west London early Wednesday, sending at least 30 people to hospitals, emergency officials said. (Sky News via AP)
In this photo taken from aerial video, smoke rises from a high-rise apartment building on fire in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. A massive fire raced through the 27-story high-rise apartment building in west London early Wednesday, sending at least 30 people to hospitals, emergency officials said. (Sky News via AP)
Smoke rises from a building on fire in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. A massive fire raced through the 27-story high-rise apartment building in west London early Wednesday, sending at least 30 people to hospitals, emergency officials said. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Firefighters wait to start their shift after a massive fire raged in a 27-floor high-rise apartment building in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. London's Metropolitan Police said a number of people were being treated for a range of injuries, but did not provide more specifics. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Twitter that a major incident had been declared. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Smoke and flames rise from a building on fire in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Metropolitan Police in London say they're continuing to evacuate people from a massive apartment fire in west London. The fire has been burning for more than three hours and stretches from the second to the 27th floor of the building.(AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Smoke and flames rise from a building on fire in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Metropolitan Police in London say they're continuing to evacuate people from a massive apartment fire in west London. The fire has been burning for more than three hours and stretches from the second to the 27th floor of the building.(AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Smoke and flames rise from a building on fire in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Metropolitan Police in London say they're continuing to evacuate people from a massive apartment fire in west London. The fire has been burning for more than three hours and stretches from the second to the 27th floor of the building.(AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Smoke and flames rise from a building on fire in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Metropolitan Police in London say they're continuing to evacuate people from a massive apartment fire in west London. The fire has been burning for more than three hours and stretches from the second to the 27th floor of the building.(AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Smoke and flames rise from a building on fire in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Metropolitan Police in London say they're continuing to evacuate people from a massive apartment fire in west London. The fire has been burning for more than three hours and stretches from the second to the 27th floor of the building.(AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Smoke and flames rise from a building on fire in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Metropolitan Police in London say they're continuing to evacuate people from a massive apartment fire in west London. The fire has been burning for more than three hours and stretches from the second to the 27th floor of the building.(AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Smoke and flames rise from a building on fire in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Metropolitan Police in London say they're continuing to evacuate people from a massive apartment fire in west London. The fire has been burning for more than three hours and stretches from the second to the 27th floor of the building.(AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Smoke and flames rise from a building on fire in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Metropolitan Police in London say they're continuing to evacuate people from a massive apartment fire in west London. The fire has been burning for more than three hours and stretches from the second to the 27th floor of the building.(AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Smoke and flames rise from a building on fire in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Metropolitan Police in London say they're continuing to evacuate people from a massive apartment fire in west London. The fire has been burning for more than three hours and stretches from the second to the 27th floor of the building.(AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Solomon said the use of Reynobond PE on the Baltimore Marriott and Browns stadium in particular should be reviewed because of their height.
On buildings that are “higher than the firefighters’ ladders,” incombustible material must be used, Arconic advises in a fire-safety pamphlet. It warns that choosing the right product is crucial “in order to avoid the fire to spread to the whole building” and that fire can spread extremely rapidly “especially when it comes to facades and roofs.”
No one has declared the U.S. buildings unsafe, nor has the U.S. government initiated any of the widespread testing of aluminum paneling that British authorities ordered after the London disaster.
Arconic declined to give further details about the buildings in the brochure, and hasn’t said how many U.S. buildings contain the product.
The company is cooperating with building owners and others involved, such as the Baltimore hotel, spokesman Steven Lipin said. The product is “certified for use in the UK and US” and the company “will continue to be here to answer any questions about its products,” Lipin said in a statement to the AP.
He did not indicate whether Arconic is contacting all the contractors, builders and others that used the material.
Baltimore City Housing Authority spokeswoman Tania Baker said the city doesn’t keep detailed records of building materials but added that, if used, the material would have been compliant with local fire codes because the Marriott is equipped with sprinklers. Harbor East, a development company that owns the building, referred all inquiries to the Marriott, whose spokesman Jeff Flaherty said results of testing on the hotel’s exterior panels could be received as early as this week.
“We can tell you that the hotel passed building inspection at the time it opened in 2001 and that the hotel’s fire and life safety systems meet local code requirements,” he said.
The Arconic website stated that the Browns stadium used 100,000 square feet of the bright silver aluminum composite material in its exterior.
One option for building owners who are unsure of the product’s use would be to remove a section of paneling and have it tested at a lab, said Vickie Lovell, president of InterCode Inc., a consulting firm on building codes and standards.
Building records kept by cities can include construction blueprints, inspection logs and fire safety plans. But local agencies don’t require that an applicant seeking a building permit submit a list of materials or specific products. In the case of the Marriott, Baltimore’s housing department holds the building’s original plans, which don’t say what cladding was used.
The architect of record would have known what materials were used during construction. But Peter Fillat, an architect who worked on the 2001 Marriott construction, said he destroyed his records pertaining to the property six years ago because his contract requires him to keep files for only 10 years.
Construction and contracting firms that worked on the Marriott also said they no longer had those records.
For decades, the U.S. has required sprinkler systems to be installed in new high-rise buildings, as well as multiple ways for people to exit in the case of a fire. Grenfell Tower had none of those safeguards.
But fire safety experts caution that indoor sprinklers can’t stop a fire that ignites on a building’s exterior and spreads across the coating that encases it.
The danger is that “the whole outside of your building could be on fire, yet the internal sprinkler heads may never activate!,” Oklahoma fire safety consultant John Valiulis wrote in a 2015 research report on the flammability of exterior walls. He pointed to high-rise fires that began on building exteriors where indoor sprinklers were completely ineffective at stopping flames from racing up the outside walls.
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Some of the buildings Arconic lists as using Reynobond PE:
Anchorage, Alaska: South Anchorage High School used 20,000 square feet of Reynobond Aluminum Cladding Material on the exterior of its science classrooms, according to Arconic’s website. Anchorage Public Schools Superintendent Deena Bishop confirmed to the AP that the material was used at the high school. “We are looking at options, studying it more, understanding what the risks are,” Bishop said, adding that the cladding was installed according to code. “Presently, we’re finding that the use of it on single-story buildings is appropriate according to the manufacturer.”
Dallas: Arconic’s website says Reynobond PE was used in Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport’s 2-million-square-foot Terminal D facility, which opened in 2005. Reynobond PE formed the walls of the terminal’s shopping and dining areas, the company’s project report states. The panels were installed in parts of the interior and exterior of the terminal, airport spokesman Casey Norton said. “We’ve been aware that we have these panels for a long time and it’s part of the equation that we use every time we inspect the airport for fire safety,” he said.
Detroit: Arconic’s website reported 26,000 feet of the paneling was used in six Early Childhood Development Centers for the Detroit Public School System. Detroit Fire Marshal Gregory Turner said no specific buildings had been identified using the material applied to Grenfell Tower but that the city was continuing to investigate.
Google Maps
1899 Wynkoop
Denver: The top two floors of 1899 Wynkoop, a nine-story office and retail building in downtown Denver’s historic warehouse district, were clad with the product to lighten its appearance and keep it from dominating the surrounding warehouses, Arconic advertises in promotional materials. About 13,000 square feet of Reynobond PE was used, the company said. Officials in Denver’s community planning and development office have been looking into the matter, but haven’t been able to locate the original building plans. “Our expectation is that it was purged as part of our normal records retention process,” spokeswoman Andrea Burns said in an email.
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Associated Press writers Mark Thiessen in Anchorage, Alaska; Jamie Stengle in Dallas; Corey Williams and Mike Householder in Detroit; Mitch Stacy in Columbus, Ohio; Tom Withers in Cleveland; and Brian Witte in Annapolis, Maryland, contributed to this report.
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