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Maker halts cladding sales

American cladding maker Arconic said Monday it is discontinuing global sales of one type of composite paneling for use on high-rise buildings following the deadly fire at a London apartment tower as Britain's government sought to manage a burgeoning fire safety crisis.

Arconic said in a statement that Reynobond PE would no longer be sold for use in highrise buildings. The company also makes another style of cladding — Reynobond FR — which is fire-resistant.

"We believe this is the right decision because of the inconsistency of building codes across the world and issues that have arisen in the wake of the Grenfell Tower," Arconic said in a statement. "We will continue to fully support the authorities as they investigate this."

The cladding — panels widely used to insulate buildings and improve their appearance — may have been a factor in rapidly spreading the June 14 blaze that killed at least 79 people trapped in the 24-story Grenfell Tower.

The U.K. government is scrambling to test panels similar to those used at the destroyed tower, hoping to better understand the national fire safety implications.

Arconic's announcement came as Britain's government announced that 75 buildings had failed cladding combustibility tests in 26 local authority areas. Communities and Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid said every building tested so far had failed.



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