Non compliant roof light design highlight fire danger
The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) has received reports that building permits are being issued for buildings with roof lights that do not meet the Performance Requirements under the National Construction Code (NCC).
The VBA’s State Building Surveyor Andrew Cialini said that building surveyors must make sure they are correctly applying the NCC when reviewing and approving building permits.
“Approving building permits with non-compliant roof light installations put future occupants at risk,” Mr Cialini said.
“Building surveyors must make sure that the design and materials of proposed roof lights meet the NCC Performance Requirements.”
Designers, building surveyors and builders are reminded that the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions C.1.10(c)(ix) can only be applied to single storey Type C buildings and not Type A and B buildings as a Deemed-to-Satisfy Solution.
Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions C.1.10(c)(ix) provides an exemption to comply with the fire hazard properties requirements for clear or translucent roof light of glass fibre-reinforced polyester if:
- the roof in which it is installed forms part of a single storey building required to be Type C construction; and
- the materials is used as part of the roof covering; and
- it is not closer than 1.5 m from another roof light of the same type; and
- each roof light is not more than 14 m2 in area; and
- the area of the roof lights per 70 m2 of roof surface is not more than 14 m2
Before applying an exemption under the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions C.1.10(c)(ix), building surveyors must ensure that all conditions of the exemption are met by requesting sufficiently detailed drawings of the roof to be satisfied that the material, location and area of the roof light complies with the exemption.
Building surveyors looking for useful information can access the VBA’s online resources.