As of 1 May, the 2019 edition of the National Construction Code (NCC) has come into legal effect in Australia.
The NCC 2019 has now been adopted by all States and Territories except for in the ACT, where the adoption of the 2019 edition of the NCC will be deferred to 1 September 2019. This means that NCC 2016 (including Volume One Amendment 1) remains in effect in the ACT only until this date.
The NCC provides the minimum necessary requirements for safety and health, amenity and accessibility, and sustainability in the design, construction, performance and liveability of new buildings (and new building work in existing buildings) throughout the country.
It is a uniform set of technical provisions for building work and plumbing and drainage installations throughout Australia, whilst allowing for variations in climate and geological or geographic conditions.
NCC Volume One primarily applies to Class 2 to 9 (multi-residential, commercial, industrial and public) buildings and structures.
NCC Volume Two primarily applies to Class 1 (residential) and 10 (non-habitable) buildings and structures.
NCC Volume Three applies to plumbing and drainage for all classes of buildings.
A number of new changes have been implemented in this year’s edition, aimed at improving the code’s reliability and to further enhance a level of consistency within its structure, wording and requirements throughout all three volumes.
Several new verification methods appear throughout the volumes to help quantify decisions when considering performance-based decisions. This is with the intent to reduce poor practices of non-compliance when processing and considering performance solutions.
Below is an overview of some key changes within the 2019 NCC:
NCC 2019 – Volume 1
Fire resistance
New inclusions prescribe non-combustible and combustible products.
Access and egress
- There are several changes regarding locking devices and signage.
- New inclusions clarify the method of calculating maximum distances between alternative exits.
Services and equipment
- Clarification is provided to help quantify when the fire brigade is available to attend to help enable better decisions when certain fire services are to be installed.
- Apartment buildings and other residential-type buildings of four storeys or greater, and that have an effective height of up to 25 metres are required to have sprinklers.
Health and amenity
- Adult change facilities are now required for consideration in certain building types to enable people to obtain assistance where they cannot use standard accessible facilities independently.
- Wall/floor junctions can be water-resistant rather than waterproof in some WCs and laundries, unless nominated otherwise (which is generally where a floor waste is required).
- There are new condensation management provisions included in this part of the NCC. The deemed-to-satisfy provisions are applicable to class-2 and 4 parts of a building. In general, this will require consideration on the following matters:
– The use of pliable membranes in external walls and whether they are required to be vapour-permeable in certain climatic zones
– Flow rate and discharge of exhaust systems
– Ventilation of roof spaces
The intention of these new provisions is to reduce the likelihood of condensation within a building that could potentially cause health risks and affect the amenity of the occupants.
Ancillary provisions
A new feature requires consideration for ‘occupiable outdoor areas’, such as roof-top bars and restaurants, balconies or similar parts of a building. It is important that there is no confusion with this term and that of ‘open space”.
Energy efficiency
This part of the NCC has seen some substantial changes to reduce energy consumption, consistent with the COAG National Energy Productivity Plan. These provisions have a transition period of 12 months, so either the new provisions may be used, or those of the older, 2016 NCC can be adopted for 12 months as of 1 May 2019.
NCC 2019 – Volume 2
Site preparation
There is a new inclusion regarding retaining walls and the need to comply with AS 4678 for any retaining wall between 800 mm and 15m in height.
Masonry
The NCC has re-introduced acceptable construction practices for masonry veneer construction and isolated masonry piers. It is important to note that there are restrictions for use of these provisions and they are not suitable for areas:
- Where the wind speed is N3 or greater
- Where the soil class is not A, S or M
- Where the site is in an alpine area, etc.
Roof and wall cladding
- This part has now been organised into smaller sub-categories.
- The acceptable construction practices within the NCC are not suitable for use in Victoria, therefore gutters and downpipes must comply with AS 3500.3.
- There are new requirements for external sheet-wall cladding and parapet capping.
Fire safety
- There are several changes throughout this section mainly to clarify the means to achieve compliance.
- There is some new detailing regarding the construction of horizontal projections where there are separating walls.
Health and amenity
- Table 8.1.1b has been amended to require wall/floor junctions be water- resistant rather than waterproofed in WCs and laundries.
- Condensation management is an entirely new addition to the NCC for all Class 1 buildings. It has been included to reduce the likelihood of risks to health and the amenity of the occupants of the dwelling. In general, this will require consideration on the following matters:
– The use of pliable membranes in external walls and whether they are required to be vapour-permeable in certain climatic zones
– Flow rate and discharge of exhaust systems
– Ventilation of roof spaces.
Ancillary provisions and additional construction requirements
- There have been several incidents in which balconies have failed to perform adequately and caused some detrimental outcomes. As a result, the NCC is now equipped with some new requirements to address these safety concerns.
- The new requirements do have limitations (i.e. maximum width, loads, heights, etc.) Should these not be able to be complied with, the design must be carried out by a suitably qualified engineer registered as a Building Practitioner with the VBA.
Energy efficiency
- These provisions have a transition period of 12 months, so either the new provisions may be used, or those of the older, 2016 NCC can be adopted for 12 months as of 1 May 2019.
- If using the new provisions, the star rating must include separate heating and cooling loads. These loads then need to be assessed for compliance against the ABCB Standard for Nathers Heating and Cooling load limits.
- There are also further requirements regarding the sealing of roof lights, and for doors between a class 1a (Dwelling) and Class 10a (Dwelling).
*Please note: there are further changes included in the 2019 NCC which have not been summarised in this article.
The next edition of the NCC is scheduled to be released in 2022.
More information on NCC 2019 can be found here.