2022 NCC Seminars: Volume One - Ancillary provisions

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[Music]

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Hello my name is Graham Moss, i'm the Principal Building Surveyor  for the Australian Building Codes Board

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this video is a brief update on NCC 2022 ancillary provisions Section G.

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The first change to cover today is G1D4, what's  known in 2019 as G1.3 and that's outdoor play  

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spaces for early childhood centers. Now it's  always been the case that the outdoor play  

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space needs a 1926.1 compliant pool fence that  is 1926.1 the reference standard for pool fencing. 

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So for this reason the fence which is at the  edge of an outdoor play space will need to be  

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at least 1.2 meters tall. This year we've added (1) (b) and (c) as shown by the orange line on this slide  

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for where there is a fall of two meters or more, now  this fall could be because of the retaining wall.

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For instance or for other landscaping, however  this provision was developed to cover outdoor  

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play spaces that are found on balconies  or on rooftop spaces. So if you have a  

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2 meter fall the fence needs to be at least  1.8 meters tall to meet these requirements.

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Next I want to cover is Part G5 construction  in bushfire prone areas there's been some  

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significant changes this year, because  under NCC 2019 in the national provisions  

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the only buildings that Volume One requires  to meet bushfire requirements are a

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Class 2 or 3 building or an associated  Class 10a like a deck or a bin store.

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For NCC 2022 we have a new section  for the Class 9 buildings that you  

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see listed here they're hospitals, early  childhood centers, primary and secondary  

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schools and residential care buildings such  as aged care buildings. Now note this isn't  

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every type of Class 9 building for example  you don't see a sports stadium listed here  

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these particular building types are ones  where the occupants are vulnerable and  

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therefore it's appropriate to provide extra  provisions to protect them in a bushfire event.

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I'll take you to those extra provisions shortly  but the first thing to note if these Deemed-to-Satisfy 

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provisions for these special Class  9 buildings apply only to BAL 12.5  

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now you're probably aware of the AS 3959  bushfire attack level the BAL rating  

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system, that's a risk rating system which based  on the likelihood of exposure to bushfire attack.

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These DtS provisions for certain Class 9 buildings  run out at BAL 12.5, if you go up to  

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BAL 19 or above you need to do a performance solution  however up to bushfire prone land up to BAL 12.5

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are covered by these Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions. If you're familiar with the  

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current bushfire provisions for Class 2 and  3 buildings you'd be aware that for these  

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particular buildings we refer you to AS 3959 for  construction requirements. Now for these special  

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Class 9 buildings it's different we don't refer  to AS 3959 instead we send you to Specification 43  

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which contains the construction requirements for  these special buildings, now these construction  

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requirements do exceed those that are found in  AS 3959 I'll step you through those right now.

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First provision to show you is clause 2 in Specification  43 separation from classified vegetation now this  

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is quite similar to requirements found in  AS 3959 what we're requiring is a minimum  

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distance from vegetation that's specified  and that's a concept straight from AS 3959.

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Next is clause 3 separation between buildings  you have three options and I'll explain those  

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options using the hypothetical scenario with these  three buildings A, B and C the first option is a  

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distance of at least 12 meters between buildings  as is the case between A and B here. If you have  

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12 meters or more then you meet the requirements  but buildings B and C are within 12 meters of each  

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other and that's where clause 2(b) comes in there  are more options inside this Clause that both  

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involve envelope protection so the first option is  to provide frl60/60/60 walls as shown on building B.

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The next option as shown on building C is a tested  envelope system now that entire envelope needs to  

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be submitted to a test under AS 1530.8.1 for a  flux of at least 10 kilowatts per square meter.

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Now AS 1530.8.1 isn't a primary reference in  NCC 2019 however it is caught up by AS 3959  

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it's the standard that's used by manufacturers  and people like that to test windows, doors and  

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other things to find out what BAL those could  withstand and of course it can be used also  

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for to rate a wall or a roof system as an option  for buildings within 12 meters of another building.

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So that's clause 2 separation between  buildings we also require separation from  

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hazards including a boundary or  an open car park that's clause 4.  

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clause 5 requires protection from other  hazards like a bin compound now that  

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needs to be at least 10 meters but if you  don't achieve 10 meters you can use the  

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same protection methods that I outlined before  an frl60/60/60 wall or the tested envelope system.

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So with four provisions about separation you  can see that this is an important part of the  

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fire safety strategy for bushfire protection for  these Class 9 buildings and of course that's not  

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new it's a established way of protecting buildings  from the effects of bushfire. However that's not  

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all we also have clause 6 which is requiring  a non-combustible path at least one and a half  

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meters wide around the building so you can't  have garden beds for instance right up against  

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your building. Next is clause 7 access pathways  what you'll find in this provision are additional  

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requirements beyond those found in D1.10 for exit  pathways from buildings. Clause 9 is important to  

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note there needs to be internal tenability  maintained for the duration of the bushfire  

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and so clause 9 contains special requirements in  order to ensure that that internal tenability is  

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met. Clause 10 building envelope you have to build  the walls and roof to AS 3959 as if your building  

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is in a BAL 19 Zone even though it's only up to  12.5 for which these provisions supply.

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There's also water supply requirements even  if your building doesn't need a fire hydrant  

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you need to at least have a water supply that  could be a pool or a dam you'll find more

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details in clause 11 of Spec 43. There's  also a requirement for emergency power, now  

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this power system needs to be able to run  the internal tenability systems for clause 9

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and other things for a period of at least  six hours. Signage is also required in clause 13  

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there has to be a sign somewhere saying don't  store combustible material near the building.

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And of course, finally vehicular access has to be  provided as for a large isolated building this  

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requirement is to ensure that the fire brigade can  easily access the building and affect operations.

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Now this is a very brief overview of the  new Class 9 bushfire provisions, if you are  

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working with Class 9 buildings in bushfire  prone areas I do recommend that you have a  

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closer look at Part G5 and Specification  43 in the production version of NCC 2022.

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Also new for Section G is livable housing or  you might know of this as accessible housing  

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this is also in Volume Two in Part H8, what is  livable housing? Well I'll explain it this  

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way currently there are no accessibility  requirements in the NCC for the internal  

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parts for Class 2 unit or indeed for a Class 1a  house to be accessible, there's no requirement  

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under NCC 2019 for these internal dwellings to  be accessible but that changes with NCC 2022.

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Both Volume One and Volume Two refer to a new  ABCB reference standard the Livable Housing  

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Design Standard I've talked about making  these dwellings accessible but livable  

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housing isn't so much about making these  accessible but rather making them adaptable.

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This is a diagram from the standard and under the  standard you need to have a toilet on the entrance  

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level of the dwelling that toilet has to be next  to a wall and though the grab rail doesn't have  

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to be installed for the final inspection you do  need to have blocking or sheeting installed so as  

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to be able to receive a handrail in the future. So the handrail doesn't have to be there for  

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the final inspection but the blocking or the  sheeting needs to be there. So of course this  

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is a way amongst others of how the Livable Housing Standard makes a dwelling adaptable.

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There are other requirements listed on this slide  we're talking about step-free entry, circulation  

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requirements as shown by this diagram here, corridor widths of one meter or more  

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minimum doorway widths, also the requirement for  a step-free shower. Now at the time of recording  

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of this video the technical requirements of  the Livable Housing Standard had not been  

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finalized so of course we're not in position  to update you fully during this video, however  

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do watch our website abcb.gov.au because we  certainly intend to support livable housing  

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provisions when they're finalized with detailed  education so please watch this space abcb.gov.au.