Collapsed balcony in Angers: AFCAB recalls the importance of certification in the building sector

On October 15, 2016, the rupture of the balcony led to the fall of 18 students, causing the death of four of them and 14 injuries.

In 2022, the court at first instance sentenced the head of the construction company, the site manager and the technical controller to suspended prison sentences and fines. As for the works manager and the project manager, they had been acquitted.

The prosecution appealed this decision, an appeal which opened this second trial.

The expert report on which the investigation was based highlighted numerous defects in the construction of the building's balconies, mainly linked to problems in the installation of the concrete reinforcements. Moreover, the experts interviewed during this appeal trial mentioned poor positioning of the reinforcements.

For many years, the AFCAB (French Association for the Certification of Concrete Reinforcements) has been raising awareness among construction professionals and public authorities of the need to resort to the certification of reinforcements and of companies installing these products, in order to contribute to the safety of concrete constructions, whether housing or civil engineering works.

The Angers tragedy is unfortunately not an isolated case. Similar incidents have occurred in France and abroad, highlighting an underlying problem in the construction of concrete balconies. This is why AFCAB has drawn the attention of public authorities to this major concern. In response, the Minister in charge of Housing ordered an in-depth study from the Construction Quality Agency (AQC), initiated in particular thanks to the involvement of the Senator of Maine-et-Loire, Catherine Deroche.

Published in November 2019, the study entitled “Balconies: points of vigilance” had identified numerous pathologies affecting concrete balconies, in particular linked to defects in the installation of the frames. This study therefore recommended generalizing checks and self-checks linked to the installation of reinforcements on this type of construction.

Following on from the report, the AFCAB welcomes the establishment of a working group with the main construction players aiming to develop a guide of recommendations on the design, construction and maintenance of balconies.

In short, the AFCAB calls for a strengthening of controls and is mobilizing to ensure that these recommendations are implemented. In particular, it expects public authorities to take measures giving them real normative scope. A systematization of the use of certification of reinforcements and reinforcement installation companies could be part of these provisions.