ABCB keeps industry Connected during COVID-19 lockdown
While the state and country have been in lockdown for the past couple of months, the ABCB, like the Victorian Building Authority, has continued to perform its role overseeing the NCC.
However, due to social distancing requirements and restrictions imposed to reduce the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), the ABCB’s planned 2020 NCC Seminar series has been shelved.
So practitioners don’t miss out on vital information and changes to the NCC series, the ABCB has created 12 videos covering key topics from their proposed seminars. The videos focus on changes included in NCC 2019 Amendment 1 and answer common technical enquiries about the application of NCC Volumes One and Two.
Information about other ABCB activities during the COVID-19 lockdown can be found on the ABCB website.
Demonstrating NCC compliance using AS 5113
AS 5113:2016 Classification of external walls of buildings based on reaction to fire performance is a standard that sets out procedures and criteria for classifying external walls of buildings.
It uses a large-scale test to determine a wall system’s tendency to spread fire and was first referenced in the NCC by BCA 2016 Volume One Amendment 1 in a Verification Method, CV3 ‘Fire spread via external walls’.
Several wall systems have achieved an EW classification, indicating they have passed the test requirements of AS 5113. However, this alone does not indicate that a wall system complies with the NCC. A performance solution must be developed, and often, additional measures will be required.
Fire Safety Verification Method webinar series – What’s next?
The ABCB hosted a webinar series on the Fire Safety Verification Method (FSVM) in February and March this year.
The webinars were tailored for different practitioners, including building surveyors, architects and building designers, fire safety engineers and fire protection practitioners.
The FSVM webinars were developed in response to industry feedback after an initial FSVM Awareness webinar in August last year. The 2020 webinar series had a more technical focus and included a lengthy Q&A discussion between participants and panellists.
The ABCB will publish the FSVM webinar on its YouTube channel.
NCC: evolving with technology
As technology evolves in the marketplace, so does the NCC.
The ABCB regularly develops innovative solutions, such as tools and other resources, to support the industry in applying and using the NCC.
Examples of these tools include calculators, guides, publications, advisory notes and, of course, the online version of the NCC. Look for them in the ABCB Resource library.