Building Regulation Studies: Understanding Fire Regulations & BCA

This assignment delves into fire regulations and compliance with the Building Code of Australia (BCA). It discusses the 'deem to satisfy' provisions and the hierarchy of requirements within the BCA, explaining how these provisions ensure building standards are met. The assignment also classifies a building according to the BCA, focusing on aspects like fire resistance and wall construction. Furthermore, it determines the 'rise in storeys' for a residential complex, considering the BCA's guidelines on calculating storey numbers. Finally, the assignment addresses the fire-resisting requirements for external walls, particularly in relation to their proximity to boundaries and other buildings.

Q1) Deem to satisfy provision are the accepted construction requirements in BCA provisions,
which helps to ensure that a building under construction will comply with all relevant standards
(BCA Illustrated, http://www.bcaillustrated.com.au/).
The hierarchy based on BCA
. Level 1
Comprises of objectives that the nearby community will express out in order to safeguard their health
and protections of other nearby properties and buildings.
Level 2
Comprises of a functional statements where a building will be able to achieve the set objectives by the

local community. ’
Level 3
Comprises of performance requirements where all the components that will be used in the construction
should be able to meet the appropriate functional statements, in order to comply with the BCA.
Level 4
It comprises of the solution of the building, where methods are set out in order to achieve the
compliance of the set performance requirement as per the BCA.
Level 4a
Deem to satisfy provision includes all relevant components which when used it will result to compliance
as per the performance requirement based on BCA.
Level 4b
Alternative solutions comprises of activities that do not lie as per deem to satisfy provision as stated in
BCA, if it can be proved and shown that it comply with other different appropriate performance
requirements.
Q2)
CLASSIFICATION OF THE BUILDING (Building Code of Australia, 2016),
Clause A2.1
The building is sustainable therefore all the parts and components of the building where
constructed to a standard that met the rules and regulation of the BCA
Clause A3.1
The building maintained its purpose of being a residential houses and hotel as per its initial
design and construction, therefore its classification maintained its status quo.
Clause A3.3
The classification of a building will depend on the major proportion in which a purposeful
activity is carried out covering the total area of each story building.

The buildings classification is determined to be class 1 building which comprises of group of
attached dwelling.
Q3)
Rise in storey is the maximum number of soreys which are calculated based on C1.2
It should be noted that while calculating the rise in storey, then the flow that is constructed below
the ground level will not be accounted for in the calculation based on BCA clause 1.2(b)(ii).
Therefore, the floor below the ground flow which is consider as class 7 will be used only for
accommodation of vehicles, hence they will not be considered as storey.
Therefore, the Rise in storeys = 2 (2 x Class 2 storeys)
Q4)
1) If the wall of the building will be less than 900 mm from an allotment boundary except an
adjoining road boundary alignment and other spaces which are public spaces
2) If the wall of the building is less than 1.8 m from other buildings on the site, except a related
Class 1 or 10 building (ABCB, 2007),

References
Building Code of Australia (2016), http://legalonline.thomson.com.au/ (available through the
UWS Library e-Resources, under “L” for Legal Online)
BCA Illustrated, http://www.bcaillustrated.com.au/ (available through the UWS Library e-
Resources, under “B” for BCA Illustrated).
ABCB [Australian Building Codes Board] (2007), Guide to the BCA 2007: Class 2 to Class 9
buildings