NCC 2016 Volume Two
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Part 2.1 Structure (Performance Requirements)

Part 2.1 Structure (Performance Requirements)

Part 2.1 Structure

Explanatory information

Explanatory information:

OBJECTIVE

O2.1

The Objective is to—

  1. safeguard people from injury caused by structural failure; and
  2. safeguard people from loss of amenity caused by structural behaviour; and
  3. protect other property from physical damage caused by structural failure; and
  4. safeguard people from injury that may be caused by failure of, or impact with, glazing.

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENTS

F2.1

  1. A building or structure is to withstand the combination of loads and other actions to which it may be reasonably subjected.
  2. Glazing is to be installed in a building to avoid undue risk of injury to people.

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

P2.1.1 Structural stability and resistance to actions

(a)

A building or structure, during construction and use, with appropriate degrees of reliability, must—

(i)

perform adequately under all reasonably expected design actions; and

(ii)

withstand extreme or frequently repeated design actions; and

(iii)

be designed to sustain local damage, with the structural system as a whole remaining stable and not being damaged to an extent disproportionate to the original local damage; and

(iv)

avoid causing damage to other properties,

by resisting the actions to which it may reasonably be expected to be subjected.

(b)

The actions to be considered to satisfy (a) include but are not limited to—

(i)

permanent actions (dead loads); and

(ii)

imposed actions (live loads arising from occupancy and use); and

(iii)

wind action; and

(iv)

earthquake action; and

(v)

snow action; and

(vi)

liquid pressure action; and

(vii)

ground water action; and

(viii)

rainwater action (including ponding action); and

(ix)

earth pressure action; and

(x)

differential movement; and

(xi)

time dependent effects (including creep and shrinkage); and

(xii)

thermal effects; and

(xiii)

ground movement caused by—

(A)

swelling, shrinkage or freezing of the subsoil; and

(B)

landslip or subsidence; and

(C)

siteworks associated with the building or structure; and

(xv)

termite actions.

(c)

The structural resistance of materials and forms of construction must be determined using five percentile characteristic material properties with appropriate allowance for—

(i)

known construction activities; and

(ii)

type of material; and

(iii)

characteristics of the site; and

(iv)

the degree of accuracy inherent in the methods used to assess the structural behaviour; and

(v)

action effects arising from the differential settlement of foundations, and from restrained dimensional changes due to temperature, moisture, shrinkage, creep and similar effects.

(d)

Glass installations that are at risk of being subjected to human impact must have glazing that—

(i)

if broken on impact, will break in a way that is not likely to cause injury to people; and

(ii)

resists a reasonably foreseeable human impact without breaking; and

(iii)

is protected or marked in a way that will reduce the likelihood of human impact.

P2.1.2 Construction of buildings in flood hazard areas

(a)

A building in a flood hazard area must be designed and constructed, to the degree necessary, to resist flotation, collapse or significant permanent movement resulting from the action of hydrostatic, hydrodynamic, erosion and scour, wind and other actions during the defined flood event.

(b)

The actions and requirements to be considered to satisfy (a) include but are not limited to—

(i)

flood actions; and

(ii)

elevation requirements; and

(iii)

foundation and footing requirements; and

(iv)

requirements for enclosures below the flood hazard level; and

(v)

requirements for structural connections; and

(vi)

material requirements; and

(vii)

requirements for utilities; and

(viii)

requirements for occupant egress.

Limitation

Limitation:

only applies to a Class 1 building.

STATE AND TERRITORY VARIATIONS

STATE AND TERRITORY VARIATIONS

does not apply in Queensland.

Note: Building work in designated flood hazard areas is regulated by the Building Act 1975 and Development Code 3.5 - Construction of buildings in flood hazard areas.

In Queensland after P2.1.2 insert QLD P2.1.3 as follows:

QLD P2.1.3

  1. The risk of primary building elements in a Class 1 or 10 building being damaged by subterranean termites must be adequately minimised by the use of a suitable termite management measure that—
    1. if it serves a non-temporary Class 1 building, has a design life of at least 50 years; or
    2. if it serves a building not specified in (i), has a design life of at least 50 years or the specified design life of the building, whichever is the lesser; or
    3. is easily and readily accessible for replenishment or replacement and is capable of being replenished or replaced.
  1. A termite management measure required by (a), to the degree necessary, must—
    1. be accessible to enable the installation, maintenance and inspection of the termite management measure to be carried out; and
    2. incorporate suitable measures to adequately minimise the risk of the termite management measure inadvertently being damaged, bridged or breached.

Explanatory information

Explanatory information:

QLD P2.1.3(a) requires a termite management measure in Queensland to have a design life of at least 50 years unless it is easily and readily accessible for replenishment or replacement and is capable of being replenished or replaced. In recognition that some buildings other than non-temporary Class 1 buildings may be designed to last less than 50 years, the option of the termite management measure having a design life at least equal to that specified for the building is given. If this option is used, the design life of the building should be agreed upon by all relevant stakeholders at the design stage and should form part of the documentation kept by the appropriate authority. It should not be assumed that the design life of 50 years in QLD P2.1.3(a)(i) and (ii) applies to any other provisions of the BCA, unless stated.

An example of a termite management measure that may satisfy QLD P2.1.3(a)(iii) is a chemical reticulation system beneath a concrete floor slab laid directly on the ground, provided that the system is easily and readily accessible for replenishment and is capable of being replenished.

An example of a termite management measure that may not satisfy QLD P2.1.3(a) for a non-temporary Class 1 building is a hand-sprayed chemical beneath a concrete floor slab laid directly on the ground if the chemical does not have a design life of at least 50 years. The concrete floor slab being laid directly on the ground would prevent the area beneath the slab from being easily and readily accessible for replenishment or replacement of the termite management measure.

An example of a termite management measure being inadvertently bridged or breached is when a person places a garden or mulch over the top of or above the level of a termite management measure enabling termites to bypass the measure.

does not apply in South Australia.