Building Code Requirements and Design

This assignment focuses on analyzing building code requirements for a hypothetical project. It involves examining specific aspects like emergency lighting provisions based on floor area, placement of exit signs for visibility, and referencing relevant Australian standards (AS 2444, AS 2293.1). The analysis should demonstrate understanding of building codes and their application in design.

RUNNING HEAD: ASSESSMENT 3
NAME
UNIT
ASSIGNMENT
ASSESSMENT NUMBER

RUNNING HEAD: ASSESSMENT 3
QUESTION 1: PROJECT 1:
In the following question, the building under compliance review is a class 1 building as it is a
residential unit. In order to test the compliance of this building, the BCA volume two should be used.
This is the BCA volume that covers residential and inhabitable structures e.g. garages and sheds. The
compliance assessment below covers the sections fire safety, health and amenity, and safe movement
and access. In this case, compliance is either “yes”, “no” or “RFI” meaning request for information.
Table 1: Project One Compliance Report
Part
No.
Section Comments Relevant
AU Std./
Code
Compliance
Achieved
FIRE SAFETY
3.7.1.3 External walls The building is required to have a fire resisting external wall as specified
in 3.7.1.5 if it is less than 900mm form the allotment boundary or 1.8m
from an adjacent building.
AS
4072.1
RFI
3.7.1.7 Allowable
encroachments
No encroachment is allowed within 900mm of the allotted boundary or
1.8m of any other building within the same allotment unless it is among
those specified in part b (i-vi).
AS
4072.1
RFI
3.7.1.8 Fire hazard properties The materials used in a class 1 building should have the required fire
hazard properties complying with AS 4254 for ductwork and a
flammability index of 5 or less for sarking type materials.
AS
4072.1
RFI
3.7.2.2 Requirement for
smoke alarms
A smoke alarm should be installed in this building in compliance to 3.7.2.3 AS 1670 Yes
3.7.4.0 Bushfire areas A building in a bushfire-prone area should be constructed in accordance to
AS 3959
AS 3959 Yes
HEALTH AND AMENITY
3.8.1.2 Wet areas Wet areas in buildings should have elements complying to Table 3.8.11
and AS 3740.
AS 3740 Yes
3.8.2.2 Room height All rooms should have minimum heights as specified in figure 3.8.2.1 BCA
Vol. 2
RFI
3.8.3.2 Required facilities All class 1 buildings should have all the facilities listed between (i-v) BCA
Vol. 2
Yes
3.8.3.3 Construction of
sanitary
compartments
All enclosed sanitary compartments in a class 1 building should have
doors that open outwards or slides or is removable.
BCA
Vol. 2
Yes
3.8.4.2 Natural light Natural light should be provided to all habitable rooms of a class 1
building by windows, roof lights or a combination of both.
AS/NZS
1680.0
Yes
3.8.4.3 Artificial light If natural light is not available to bathrooms, sanitary compartments,
laundry areas and airlocks, artificial light should be provided in
accordance with AS/NZS 1680.0.
AS/NZS
1680.0
Yes
3.8.5.2 Ventilation
requirements
All habitable rooms, laundry rooms, shower rooms, bathrooms and
frequently occupied areas should be provided with natural ventilation by
means of openings which can be opened in accordance to figure 3.8.5.1
AS 1668 Yes
SAFE MOVEMENT AND ACCESS
3.9.1.2 Stairway construction A staircase in a Class 1 building must comply with AS/NZS 1170.1 in
terms of load bearing and have a number of raisers that is not more than 18
or less than 2.
AS/NZS
1170.1
Yes
3.9.1.4 Slip resistance All treads must have a surface and nosing with slip resistant treatment in
accordance with AS 4586.
AS 4586 Yes
3.9.2.2 Barriers to prevent
falls
For the building in Project 1, a continuous barrier should be provided for
the staircase in order to prevent a fall.
AS/NZS
1170
Yes
3.9.2.3 Construction of
barriers
All barriers and balustrades are to be constructed with the minimum
member dimensions in compliance with figures 3.9.2.1-3
AS/NZS
1170
Yes
1

RUNNING HEAD: ASSESSMENT 3
QUESTION 2: PROJECT 2:
The building described in Project 2 specification documents is a low rise building consisting of shops
on the ground floor and residential units above. The residential units above are big enough to
accommodate whole families and therefore should be constructed in compliance with the provisions
for maximum safety and ease of access. In the table below, the building is described categorically and
technically.
Table 2: Building Properties
Classification Class 4 type
Number of storeys contained RFI
Rise in storeys RFI
Type of construction required A
Effective height RFI
In the table below, the Deemed-to-satisfy clauses where compliance measures for this building can be
found have been identified.
Table 3: Sections and Clauses for DTS
Section Part/Clause Description of part
C FIRE RESISTANCE
C C1.1 Type of construction required
C C2.7 Separation by firewall
C C3.5 Doorways in the firewall
ACCESS AND EGRESS
D D1.4 Exit travel distances
D D1.14 Measurement of distance
D D1.3 Where fire isolated ramps are required
D D2.10 Pedestrian ramps
D D2.23 Signs on doors
D D3.5 Accessible car parking
D D3.1 General building access requirements
D D3.2 Access to buildings
D D3.3 Parts of a building to be accessible
SERVICES AND EQUIPMENT
E E1.3 Fire hydrants
E E1.4 Fire hose reels
E E1.5 Sprinklers
E E1.6 Portable fire extinguishers
E E4.2 Emergency lighting requirements
E E4.5 Exit signs
HEALTH AND AMENITY
F F4.2 Methods and extents of natural light
F F4.4 Artificial lighting
F F4.5 Ventilation of rooms
F F5.4 Sound insulation rating of floors
F F5.5 Sound insulation rating of walls
2

RUNNING HEAD: ASSESSMENT 3
F F5.6 Sound insulation rating of internal services
QUESTION 3: PROJECT 3:
The building described in Project 3 specification documents is a low rise building consisting of
factory units and office space. I can therefore be classified as a class 8 building under the BCA 2016
classification criteria. In the table below, the Deemed-to-satisfy clauses where compliance measures
for this building can be found have been identified and stated. A brief description of the clauses have
been provided for with their requirements detailed to ensure full compliance. The document has also
been checked to substantiate whether the building has complied with the performance requirements by
checking the information on the documents against the BCA deemed-to-satisfy requirements.
Table 4: Project 3 Compliance Report
Clause Section Comments Relevant
AU Std./
Code
Compliance
Achieved
D ACCESS AND EGRESS
D1.4 Exit travel distance All points on the floors on both stories must be less than 20 m from the
nearest exit
AS 1428 RFI
D1.3 Where fire isolated
stairways and ramps
are required
For this class of building, every ramps or stair case that served as a
required exit should be isolated from the fire unless it is part of an open
spectator stand.
AS 1428 Yes
D2.10 Pedestrian ramps a) For this building class, a fire-isolated can be used in place of a fire-
isolated stairway should the dimensional properties of the ramps be in
compliance with those of a stairway.
b) A ramp that serves as a required exit must also comply fully with AS
1428:1and in the case where it doesn’t, it should have a gradient of no
more than 1:8.
c) The ramp’s floor surface should be slip-resistant as specified in table
D2.14 that is in compliance with AS 4586.
AS 1428/
AS 4586
Yes
D2.23 Signs on doors a) Any signage alerting persons against impairing the operation of
certain doors should be installed at a location where it is easily seen or
adjacent to a required fire door or required smoke door on the side
where a person seeking egress would be standing or on the adjacent
wall if the door is to be held open.
b) The signage must be in all caps and in contrast the background highly
for visibility. The text height should not be less than 20mm.
AS 1428 RFI
D3.5 Accessible car
parking
A car parking facility within the allotment boundary of the building it is to
facilitate should be in full compliance with table D3.5.
AS 4586 Yes
D3.1 General building
access requirements
Access for this class of building must be provided to all places in the
buildings where occupants would use it except for the exemptions listed in
clause D3.4.
AS 4586 Yes
D3.2 Access to buildings An access-way should be incorporated for this building from any required
accessible parking space, main points of pedestrian entry or from another
building required to be accessible.
AS 1428 Yes
D3.3 Parts of a building to
be accessible
All parts of this building are required to be accessible. AS 1428 Yes
E SERVICES AND EQUIPMENT
E1.3 Fire hydrants A fire hydrant system should be provided to serve a building whose floor
area exceeds 500m2 and where a fire brigade is available in case of an
emergency.
A fire hydrant system should be installed to match the codes AS 2419.1
and AS 3500
AS
2419.1/
AS 3500
Yes
3

RUNNING HEAD: ASSESSMENT 3
E1.4 Fire hose reels a) A hose-reel system must be install in this class of building where an
internal hydrant system has been provided in accordance with AS
2441.
b) It should be able to cater for the coverage area specified in AS 2441.
AS 2441 Yes
E1.5 Sprinklers Sprinklers must be provided throughout the whole building should any
part of it have an effective height of 25m in compliance with AS 2118.
AS 2118 No
E1.6 Portable fire
extinguishers
Portable fire extinguishers are to be provided as specified in table E1.6 in
compliance to AS 2444.
AS 2444 No
E4.2 Emergency lighting
requirements
Emergency lighting should be provided in every storey where the floor
area exceeds 300m2.
AS
2293.1
RFI
E4.5 Exit signs The exits signs installed in this building should be visible to anyone
approaching the exit i.e. above or next to any door that provided egress
from the storey, horizontal exit, required exit and any door from an
enclosed ramp, passage way or staircase discharging to an open road or
space.
AS
2293.1
RFI
4

RUNNING HEAD: ASSESSMENT 3
REFERENCES:
Australian Building Codes Board, 2009, BCA 2009: Building Code of Australia, Australian Building
Codes Board.
Australian Building Codes Board, 2010. An investigation of possible Building Code of Australia
(BCA) adaptation measures for climate change. Australian Building Codes Board, Canberra.
Australian Building Codes Board, 2010. Performance standard for private bushfire shelters. Part one.
Australian Building Codes Board, 2013. National Construction Code Series Volume 1, Building Code
of Australia 2013, Class 2 to 9 Buildings. Canberra: Australian Building Codes Board.
Australian Building Codes Board, 2013. National Construction Code Series Volume 2, Building Code
of Australia 2013, Class 1 and class 10 Buildings. Canberra: Australian Building Codes Board.
Flex Profit Hub, n.d. Differences Between Commercial and Residential Property Investment. [Online]
Available at: https://flexprofithub.com/commercial-property-investment/differences-between-
commercial-and-residential-property-investment
[Accessed 31 Aug 2017].
Forte, C., 2014. The Design Process: Residential vs. Commercial. [Online]
Available at: http://www.architecturelab.net/the-design-process-residential-vs-commercial/
[Accessed 30 Aug 2017].
International Standardization Organization 2003, Houses – Description of performance – Part 1:
Structural safety, International Standardization Organization 2003, ISO 15928-1:2003, ISO, UK.
International Standardization Organization 2008, General principles on the design of structures for
durability, International Standardization Organization 2008, ISO 13823:2008, ISO, UK.
International Standardization Organization 2008, Sustainability in building construction – General
principles, International Standardization Organization 2008, ISO 15392:2008, ISO, UK.
International Standardization Organization 2010, Sustainability in building construction – Framework
for methods of assessment of the environmental performance of construction works – Part 1:
Buildings. International Standardization Organization 2010, ISO 21931-1:2010, ISO, UK.
SAI Global, 2011. Guide to Standards - Building and Construction. s.l.:SAI GLOBAL.
Standards Australia 2002, Structural design actions – General principles. STANDARDS
AUSTRALIA 2002, AS/NZS 1170.0:2002, Standards Australia, Sydney.
5