explosion, wind, or fire, finding that although the design had complied with the current regulations, the following recommendations should be implemented: Gas supplies should be disconnected from existing tall buildings until they have been strengthened Consideration should be given to a requirement to notify the gas board of new gas installations Consideration should be given to improving ventilation in high blocks The regulations for the storage of explosive materials in high blocks should be reviewed All blocks over six storeys should be appraised by a structural engineer Where necessary high blocks should be strengthened Designers of new tall blocks should design them so they are not susceptible to progressive collapse Designers should have regard to recent research on frequency and duration of high wind speeds etc Designers should have regard to the effects of fire on the structural behaviour of the building Subsequent rebuilding and later demolition Ronan Point was partly rebuilt after the explosion, using strengthened joints designed to deal with those issues, and the Building Regulations were altered to ensure that similar designs would not be permitted in the future. However, public confidence in the safety of residential tower blocks was irreparably shaken, and the public scepticism was later found to be appropriate. Sam Webb, an architect who had given evidence to the Griffiths inquiry, predicted that after approximately 15 years, Ronan Point would develop structural problems and collapse. Webb's concerns eventually led the council to evacuate the building, and then to demolish it in 1986 in a forensic manner (rather than, for example, using explosives). When this was done, the extent of the defects found shocked even some of the activists, including Webb himself. On the lower floors, cracks were found in the concrete where it had been point-loaded, and it was alleged that the extra pressure on those points during a high wind (such as during the Great Storm of 1987, barely a year after the demolition) would soon have led to building collapse. Effect on legislation The partial collapse of Ronan Point led to major changes in building regulations. The first of these came with the 5th Amendment to the Building Regulations in 1970. These are now embodied in Part A of the Building Regulations and cover "Disproportionate Collapse". They require that "the building shall be constructed so that in the event of an accident the building will not suffer collapse to an extent disproportionate