TECHNICAL PETER ZAGORSKI, DIRECTOR Director - Building Services BUILDING CODES AUSTRALIA 2019 – WHAT IS CHANGING? 1 May 2019 sees the adoption of the first major edition of the National Construction Code (NCC) since moving to a 3 year amendment cycle. The National Construction Code for building sealing utilising a ‘blower door’ NCC INFORMATION 2019 is the first (full) edition of thetest, this provision applies both nationally SESSIONS NCC since moving to a three-year and in NSW under BASIX. amendment cycle – the result of Condensation HOBART Thursday 4 April which is an unprecedented level of changes The inclusion of the condensation Tasmanian Hockey Centre being included in the new edition. management provisions is in response to 1 Bell Street, Newtown The 2019 edition contains a number of growing calls for this issue to be addressed significant changes that will affect all classesin particular in houses in colder climates ofLAUNCESTON Friday 5 April of buildings, including houses and low and Australia. The provisions are intended to be Tailrace Centre, mid-rise residential buildings. the first of a suite of changes to come in 1 Waterfront Drive, Riverside future editions of the code. To register go to www.hia.com.au/ THE MAJORITY OF THE The new provisions address Events/national-construction-code CHANGES WILL TAKE condensation management including the EFFECT FROM 1 MAY use of vapour permeable membranes NEXT YEAR and external ducting of exhaust has been introduced. systems have been included, as well as concessions for other fire safety features on The impact of the changes for residential Acceptable Construction Practice account of the additional protection afforded buildings is difficult to put a dollar amountOn a positive note the NCC will re-introduceby the fire sprinkler systems. to, but it will mean that many house and ‘Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions’ (DtS) for masonry veneer construction, provide Energy efficient requirements apartment designs will require some There will be an increase in energy efficiency changes and some building products may additional fire safety measures between require adjustment – or, worse, may no attached dwellings and introduce new DtS stringency for commercial buildings with provisions for earth retaining structures andregards to common areas, shared services longer be usable on certain building types. of apartments and mixed-use buildings the attachment of decks and balconies. (apartments with ground floor cafés and Major changes to NCC HIA sought the inclusion of this content Volume Two (housing) back into the NCC itself rather than being shops), and meeting the similar energy wholly reliant on referenced standards. efficiency measures mentioned above for Energy efficiency requirements housing. The national energy efficiency requirements The major changes to NCC Other changes include the retention of include a number of changes, such Volume One low- and mid-rise the bonded laminate materials clause from as separate heating and cooling loads Class 2 buildings C1.9(e) (former C1.12) and permitting certain in addition to meeting both the 6-star types of sarking-type material that meet standard. This somewhat aligns the nationalMandatory fire sprinklers in Class 2 prescribed criteria to be used in external provisions with the current requirements and 3 buildings walls required to be non-combustible. under BASIX. The reference building A requirement for fire sprinklers to be installed verification method (V2.6.2.2) has been in apartment buildings and other residentialWhen will the changes take effect? made and also clarifies which software buildings four storeys and above and up to The majority of the changes will take effect tools can and cannot be used to undertake 25 metres in effective height will be includedfrom 1 May next year, though to assist modelling for this method (note: this methodin the DtS provisions. This means, anyone industry with adjusting to these changes doesn’t apply in NSW). using a DtS pathway for compliance for the ABCB Board agreed for a 12 month The requirements for building sealing these types of buildings will need to installtransition period for all of the energy are now more prescriptive and there is the a fire sprinkler system. As part of these efficiency provisions for all classes of inclusion of an optional verification methodrequirements, two new types of fire sprinkler buildings. P12 BUILDING NEWS ISSUE 1/2019