REGIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT GREG WELLER HIA Regional Executive Director – ACT/Southern NSW BIG CHANGES FOR BUILDING CODE IN 2019 With the National Construction Code (NCC) moving to a three-year amendment cycle it has resulted in an unprecedented level of changes to the 2019 edition. The new edition contains a number TWO NEW TYPES OF of significant changes that will FIRE SPRINKLER affect all classes of buildings, including houses and low-mid rise SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN residential buildings. INCLUDED, AS WELL The extent of impact of the changes for AS CONCESSIONS FOR residential buildings is difficult to put a dollar OTHER FIRE SAFETY amount to, but it will mean that many house and apartment designs will require some FEATURES... changes and a range of building products may also require some adjustment. been included, as well as concessions for Major amendments to NCC Volume Two other fire safety features on account of the (housing) include: additional protection afforded by the fire sprinkler systems. Energy efficiency requirements Energy efficient requirements The inclusion of separate heating and cooling loads will mean that buildings will There will be an increase in energy efficiency need to meet either the 6-star standard (or stringency for commercial buildings. These equivalent) and meet the prescribed heatingAcceptable Construction Practice changes will affect common areas, shared and cooling load limit caps. A revision of On a positive note, the NCC will re-introduceservices of apartments and mixed use the existing reference building verificationDeemed-to-Satisfy provisions (DtS) for buildings (apartments with ground floor method (V2.6.2.2) has been made and masonry veneer construction, provide cafés and shops). also clarifies which software tools can andadditional fire safety measures between The majority to the changes will take cannot be used to undertake modelling for attached dwellings and introduce new DtS effect from 1 May 2019, though to assist this method. provisions for earth retaining structures andindustry with adjusting to these changes the The requirements for building sealing the attachment of decks and balconies. ABCB Board has agreed to provide a 12 are now more prescriptive and there is HIA had sought the inclusion of this contentmonth transition period for all of the energy the inclusion of an optional verification back into the NCC itself rather than being efficiency provisions for all classes method for building sealing utilising a wholly reliant on referenced standards. of buildings. ‘blower door’ test. The major changes to NCC Volume One HIA will be running a series of seminars (low - mid-rise Class 2 buildings), include:across the country, which will include a Condensation ‘deep dive’ analysis of those changes The inclusion of the condensation Mandatory Fire sprinklers in that will affect houses and low-rise management provisions is in response to Class 2 & 3 buildings residential buildings. These should be of growing calls for this issue to be addressed,A requirement for fire sprinklers to be great value to anyone with an interest in particularly in houses in colder climates installed in apartment buildings and other building including licensed builders, project of Australia. The provisions are intended residential buildings four storeys and aboveand construction managers, building to be the first of a suite of changes to and up to 25 metres in effective height certifiers/surveyors, building designers, come in future editions of the code. The will be included in the DtS provisions. Thisarchitects, engineers, product manufacturers new provisions address condensation means anyone using a DtS pathway for and regulators. management including the use of vapour compliance for these types of buildings will permeable membranes and external ducting need to install a fire sprinkler system. TwoEvents will be held in Canberra on of exhaust has been introduced. new types of fire sprinkler systems have 17 April and Wagga on 3 May 2019. BUILDING NEWS ISSUE 1/2019 P7 EVITUCEXEROTCERID