Building Regulation Studies: NCC Compliance and Fire Protection

This assignment solution addresses fire safety regulations within the context of the National Construction Code (NCC) of Australia. It analyzes building classifications, construction types (Type B and C), and fire resistance levels (FRL) for various building elements. The solution details the requirements for fire hydrants and fire hose reels, including their installation, location, and performance standards, based on AS 2419.1 and AS 2441. It also outlines the types of buildings that necessitate fire sprinkler protection, referencing the Australian Building Codes Board and other relevant sources. The document emphasizes the importance of compliance with the NCC's performance requirements, including both performance solutions and deemed-to-satisfy solutions. The assignment covers several aspects of building design and construction to ensure fire safety, referencing the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) and other regulatory bodies.

Building Regulation Studies 1
BUILDING REGULATION STUDIES
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Building Regulation Studies 2
Building Regulation Studies
Question 5
The type of construction is determined by the Building Codes of Australia (BCA) building class
and number of storeys of the building. In this scenario, the building is a two storey boarding
house. The boarding house has a total floor area of 320 m2 (exceeding 300 m2) and its top level
has access to two external non fire isolated stairs. Therefore the classification of this building is
class 3. According to Australian Building Codes Board (2019), the type of construction for a two
storey class 3 building is type B.
Question 6
The type of fire resisting construction is dependent on the type of construction. The building in
this scenario has two storeys since the factory and office are not at the same level. One level of
the building, which has a total floor area of 150m2, is an office building (class 5) and the other
level, which has a total floor area of 600m2, is a factory (class 8). This implies that the top floor
is smaller than the ground floor and located at one corner of the building, as illustrated by the
schematic in Figure 1 below. Thus based on this combination (two storey and class 5 and 8
buildings), the type of construction for this building is type C (Queensland Building and
Construction Commission, 2014). This means that the type of fire resting construction required
for the building is type C (least fire resisting construction).

Building Regulation Studies 3
Figure 1: Schematic of the building
The fire resistance level (FRL) for the different building elements of type C fire resisting
construction is provided in Table 1 below
Table 1: FRL of type C fire resisting construction
Building element Fire resistance level (FRL)
Office (class 5) Factory (class 8)
External wall 90/90/90 90/90/90
External column 90/-/- 90/-/-
Common walls 90/90/90 90/90/90
Internal walls 60/60/60 60/60/60
Roofs -/-/- -/-/-
Question 12
The building in this scenario is a single storey factory (class 8), which is a type C that has a
lower risk of fire thus it is the least fire resistant. Below are some of the requirements for the fire
hydrant and fire hose reel of the building:

Building Regulation Studies 4
 A fire hydrant system must be installed in each of the three sole occupancy units. This
means that the building will have a total of three fire hydrant systems. This is because the
building has three sole occupancy units each being a separate fire compartment.
 The fire hydrant systems must be installed as per AS 2419.1 requirements so as to meet
the applicable standards.
 A fire hose reel must be installed near the exit of each of the three sole occupancy units.
This means that the building will have a total of three fire hose reels so as to meet the
required firefighting needs.
 The fire hose reels can be installed externally, internally or in combination.
 Each fire hose reel must be located adjoining to an internal fire hydrant or within 4
meters of an exit to make it easier to fight fire.
 The fire hose reels should be clearly marked on a red sign with white letters and the
signage located at least two meters above the floor and must be visible within two meters
of the fire hose reel (Standards Australia, 2017). This will enable firefighters to identify
them easily.
 The height of the fire hose reels should be within the recommended limits of 1.4m to
2.4m (Integrated Fire Services, 2019) for easy reachability.
 The fire hose reels must be installed as per AS 2441 requirements so as to meet the
required performance standards.
 Installation of fire hose reels must be such that the fire hose will not necessarily have to
pass through entranceways that are fitted with smoke or fire doors to facilitate
firefighting.

Building Regulation Studies 5
 The fire hose reel should have a minimum length of 24 meters and a maximum length of
36 meters with a four meters spray from the nozzle.
 The fire hydrant and fire hose reel valve should be easily reachable and not obstructed by
items such as furniture.
 The fire hose reels must be fixed strongly so as to ensure that the weight of the device is
adequately supported and also the forces that the firefighting occupants will apply when
pulling on the hose.
 The design and location of the fire hose reel should facilitate easy unreeling.
 If the desired pressure and flow cannot be achieved by the normal water supply then a
water storage facility, pump or both must be installed to provide the minimum pressure
and flow required.
 There must be adequate water supply and storage for the fire hydrant systems and fire
hose reels.
Question 13
Some of the buildings that must have fire sprinkler protection are provided in Table 2 below
Table 2: Types of buildings that must have fire sprinkler protection
Type of building Rational
Buildings with at least four storeys or whose
effective height is less than 25 meters
(Australian Building Codes Board, 2019).
These buildings pose a greater challenge for
occupants to escape or firefighting team to fight
the fire during fire outbreak.
All classes of buildings that have more than
three storeys, which includes all medium-rise
residential buildings (Fire Protection
Association Australia, 2018).
They pose greater challenges for occupants to
escape or firefighting team to fight the fire
during fire outbreak.
Class 9a and 9c buildings (healthcare buildings
and residential aged care buildings) (Bicknell,
2019)
These buildings accommodate people who are at
a higher risk because of potential limitations
(Fire Systems Australia SEQ, 2019).
Class 6 buildings with a total floor area of more The buildings have a high risk of fire because of

Building Regulation Studies 6
than 3,500 m2 or total volume of more than
21,000 m3.
the materials/substances and the large number of
people they accommodate at any given time and
activities therein.
Class 7a and 7b buildings (including car park
building with more than 40 vehicles and storage
buildings such as warehouses).
The buildings have a high risk of fire because of
the materials/substances and activities therein.
Apartments fitted out with flammable synthetic
materials.
Fire in these buildings spreads very quickly and
can reach the deadly flashover stage in less than
three minutes.
Occupancies of excessive hazard with a total
floor area of more than 2,000m2 or volume of
more than 12,000m3. (Australian Building
Services, (n.d.))
These buildings have a high risk of fire because
of the hazardous storage or processes.
References

Building Regulation Studies 7
Australian Building Codes Board, 2019. National Construction Code (NCC) 2019, Canberra: Australian
Building Codes Board.
Australian Building Services, (n.d.). Sprinklers. [Online]
Available at: https://australianbuildingservices.wordpress.com/sprinklers/
[Accessed 11 December 2019].
Bicknell, T., 2019. New residential fire sprinkler requirements in NCC 2019. [Online]
Available at: https://www.abcb.gov.au/Connect/Articles/2019/05/28/New-residential-fire-sprinkler-
requirements-in-NCC-2019
[Accessed 11 December 2019].
Fire Protection Association Australia, 2018. New Sprinkler Rules Will Save Lives. [Online]
Available at: http://www.fpaa.com.au/news/news/2018/12/new-sprinkler-rules-will-save-lives.aspx
[Accessed 11 December 2019].
Fire Systems Australia SEQ, 2019. Sprinklers. [Online]
Available at: http://fsaseq.com.au/products/major-products/sprinklers/
[Accessed 11 December 2019].
Integrated Fire Services, 2019. Determining the location of fire hose reels. [Online]
Available at: https://integratedfire.com.au/blog/2018/7/12/determining-the-location-of-fire-hose-reels
[Accessed 12 December 2019].
Queensland Building and Construction Commission, 2014. Building Codes of Australia (BCA) Classes of
buildings. [Online]
Available at: https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/building-codes-australia-bca-classes-buildings
[Accessed 11 December 2019].
Standards Australia, 2017. AS 2419.1-2005 Fire hydrant installations – System design, installation and
commissioning, Sydney: Standards Australia.