Statement regarding Celotex BS8414 cladding tests

BRE's Official Statement on Celotex

We have been contacted by Celotex, who, on reviewing their processes and test data from a BS8414-2 cladding test carried out at BRE in 2014, have identified anomalies between their design specification for the cladding system to be tested and the actual cladding system they installed to be tested.

It is our understanding that the test system was not constructed according to Celotex’s design specification and as such, the test results have been withdrawn.

The cladding system in that test included Celotex RS5000 and fibre cement board rainscreen (declared reaction to fire classification A2) – this was not an Aluminium Composite Material (ACM), nor was it the cladding system on Grenfell Tower.

BRE does not design, select or install the test system, nor are we involved in the sample selection process. The onus for that is strictly with the company for whom the test is being conducted. BRE's role is to conduct the fire test against the requirements of the British Standards Institute BS8414 test methodology.

We were alerted to the discrepancy this week by the Celotex management team who said they had launched their own internal review.