This is stunning to say "There has been considerable debate in the construction industry about whether to require facades be constructed of nonflammable material, but naysayers say those products are expensive, especially for large projects."

There is no debate facades of high rise buildings must be made of nonflammable materials in every code in the world!

Further to suggest that though the facade failed and the fire didn't migrate to the interior that "it worked" as designed is ridiculous as well. The article itself makes reference to another facade fire in Atlantic City where the fire started on the ground level and took down the whole side of the building.

So is the story the fire that was no big deal it all is fine worked like it should?

What a whitewash!

oltimedemo..please check the thread mentioned above in skyscraper.com. One poster shows picture of Atlantic City hotel with EIFS.. same material that burned the entire side of a building (hotel) under construction. The stuff seems definately flamable if we can believe our eyes.

one more comment. I am sure MGM will not merely patch with the same stuff but redesign the entire cornice and sign with something much better. Since they have to do the work anyway do it right. The real issue is what this means for the other hotels that use similar facades. No doubt they just want this to go away. Ordering new facades on all the major hotels in Las Vegas is economically catastrophic. They will probably declare this case closed after repairs completed.

It seems to me building inspection could adopt a reasonable compromise to open the hotel and still have the questionable material ordered removed. By declaring the same material safe and to code the day after everyone saw it burn is amazing and to be sure driven by the economically catastrophic decision to close it until its replaced..a process that could take months....The hotel would lose its staff and there would be terrible loses.
The alternative is to order it removed..provide extra monitoring in the meantime and keep the hotel open.

Are you going to believe the head Building Inspector in Clark County or your lying eyes.

It is curious too why despite much interest nationwide on this issue no press has picked up the story.
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthre...

Two follow up notes:
The above post refers to a "light concrete" coating. It is not light concrete it is synthetic stucco commonly known as dryvit. It has a very controversial history.
Also the above post seems to suggest that only in Vegas is the use of styrofoam permitted. Sadly it is used throughout the United States and abroad. So this really is an international issue.

I hope this thread gets the attention of the news reporters. The issue of styrofoam backing that is obviously combustible is a national issue!!! Indeed international. I have always been concerned about these flimsy exterior materials in major buildings. The fact is they are cheap and now we know dangers.
Good work to CynicalObserver for pointing this out I have been doing extensive searches on this story precisely because the issue of exterior skin catching fire was not mentioned in any news story.
There will always be a spark in any building that "causes" a fire. The main issue for fire safety is to make sure the fire has no opportunity to spread. This fire spread on the side of the building!!!
Please Sun get a story on this..the world needs to know this. I am a real estate developer that never uses dryvit/styrofoam for any building.
You can email me for comment rickbalin@yahoo.com