Guidance

Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete: identification guidance

Identify reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in your education setting and inform the Department for Education (DfE) immediately via the structural issues form.

• From: Department for Education
• Published: 14 December 2022
• Last updated: 20 July 2026
  Show all updates

  1. 20 July 2026

     Updated 'Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete: identification guidance', to remove the RAAC email address and direct users to the DfE customer help portal.

  2. 25 April 2024

     Updated the ‘Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC): identification guidance’ document with updated information on our RAAC identification programme. A link to the structural issues form has been added to the landing page and guidance document for responsible bodies to report any cases of confirmed RAAC.

  3. 19 September 2023

     Document updated, including minor typographical and terminology corrections, and changes to improve the accessibility of images.

  4. 31 August 2023

     Replaced 'Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC): estates guidance' with 'Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC): identification guidance', and updated on-page text accordingly.

  5. 14 December 2022

     First published.

Applies to England

Documents

Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC): identification guidance

PDF, 1.08 MB, 21 pages

Details

This is non-statutory guidance for responsible bodies of state-funded education estates in England.

It can be used by all parties involved in the identification of RAAC in the relevant education estates.

RAAC panels may be present in floors, walls and roofs (pitched and flat) of buildings constructed or modified between the 1950s and 1990.

The attached document provides guidance on:

• the identification of RAAC
• the appointment of a building surveyor or structural engineer to confirm if RAAC is present in any of the buildings on your education estate
• how to report confirmed RAAC to DfE using the structural issues form

Where RAAC is confirmed, you should also refer to the Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete: guidance for responsible bodies and education settings with confirmed RAAC.