1. Lesson Two – Classification of Buildings and Acceptable Construction
CPCCBC4001A Apply building codes and standards to the construction process for low rise building projects  
Lesson Two – Classification of Buildings and Acceptable Construction
Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012

2. Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012
Note
The following slides make use of the ABCB National Construction Code Awareness Resource Kit
And have been condensed or modified to suit this context.
Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012

3. Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012
Todays Lesson
Handout (next section P 21 to 36)
Classification of Buildings
Performance and Acceptable Construction
Compliance with the BCA
What the BCA applies to
Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012

4. Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012
National Construction Code Series
Building Code
Volume Three
Guide to
Volume One
Appendices
Volume Two
Plumbing
Code
National Construction Code Series
The NCC Series comprises the Building Code of Australia (BCA), Volume One and Volume Two; and the Plumbing Code of Australia (PCA), as Volume Three.
The State and Territory Appendices which contain their variations and additions, form part of Volume One but are published as a separate document.
To support Volume One of the BCA, the Guide to Volume One is also produced.
Today’s presentation will focus on the operation and the application of the Building Code of Australia (or Volume One and Two of the NCC Series), which we will now refer to as the BCA.
Proceed to the next slide
Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012

5. Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012
Using the BCA – from P21
Classifications in whole are in Volume 1, Section A, ‘General Provisions’
Part A3.2 (BCA 2012 from page 39)
Its important to read the rest of the general provisions to see what's applicable to the classifications
BCA Volume 2, section 1.3 (BCA 2012 from page 35)
Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012

6. Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012
Using the BCA – from P21
Once the classification has been established the volume applicable to the “proposed building work can be identified”
In most cases for us, it will be Volume Two, for we are working within the residential building sector.
The next step is to work progressively through Section 3 and compare the proposed building work against the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions
Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012

7. Classification - from P22
The Classification of a building or part of a building is determined by the purpose for which it is designed, constructed or adapted to be used (BCA, 2012 A3.1).
This helps not only in classifying construction requirements, but also governs various other requirements such as:
those for waterproofing,
sanitary facilities,
room sizes, light,
ventilation and noise control
Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012

8. What is a Class of Building?
Not in your text specifically
The Class – or Classification – of a building/structure is determined by the purpose for which it is designed, constructed or adapted to be used.
As the purpose of buildings vary – the BCA has different requirements for different classes of buildings
Read the slide
Let’s consider a simple example - if you think of the goals of the BCA, one of which is to provide a safe environment during the evacuation of occupants in a building, then there’ll obviously need to be different requirements for different uses of buildings.
Take a hospital as an example - it would be reasonable to expect that it will be much more difficult to evacuate 50 patients from an Intensive Care facility in a hospital than to evacuate 50 military cadets from a school hall.
Therefore - we need to have special safety requirements in a hospital to allow for the fact that it will take more time to evacuate occupants.
Proceed to the next slide
Operation of the BCA
Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012

9. Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012
Classes of Buildings
Part A3 of the BCA provides detailed descriptions of various classes of buildings.
The classifications and typical examples include:
Class 1a single dwellings / houses
Class 1b small guest / boarding houses
Class 2 dwellings / apartments (above others)
Class 3 hotels / motels (unrelated persons)
Class 4 a single dwelling in a Class 5 to 9
Read the first dot point
For the purposes of this presentation an abbreviated version of the descriptions is provided
Read the remainder of the slide
As you can see - Class 1 to 4 buildings are types of residential buildings
A simple way of remembering the main difference between a Class 1 and a Class 2 building is that Class 1 buildings are not located above or below dwellings or another class of building (except a private garage). Class 1 dwellings need to be freestanding, or located side by side.
Proceed to the next slide
Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012

10. Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012
Classes of Buildings
Class 5 offices – not Class 6 to 9
Class 6 retail shops
Class 7a carparks
Class 7b storage / display warehouses
Class 8 a laboratory or factory
Class 9a health-care building
Class 9b assembly building
Read the slide
Notice that some of the descriptions are written in italics and the reason for this is that these terms are defined in the BCA. We'll talk about definitions in detail later in the presentation; however for the purposes of this slide it’s enough to say that use of italics in the descriptions of some classes helps users identify the appropriate classification
Proceed to the next slide
Operation of the BCA
Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012

11. Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012
Classes of Buildings
Class 9c aged care building
Class 10a non-habitable building (e.g. a carport/ garage)
Class 10b structure – swimming pool – fence
Class 10c a private bushfire shelter
Buildings can have multiple classifications
Each part of a building must be classified separately, except that if not more than 10% of floor area of the part in which it is located, the major classification may apply (exclusions apply – See A3.3).
Look in your text notes to further explain & view example P24 to 25
Read the four dash points
The BCA allows a single building to have multiple classifications provided it is designed to comply with the BCA for the various classifications.
As an example, a Class 7 warehouse could be used as a dance party venue one night a week; i.e. as a Class 9b building - provided it was designed to comply with both Class 7 and Class 9b Performance Requirements
Additionally the BCA requires each part of a building that has a different use to be classified in accordance with the use of that part. This rule generally applies unless the area of the part is not more than 10% of the floor area of the storey in which the part is located and is an ancillary use to the dominant classification; although there are some nominated exclusions.
Therefore, if an ancillary area is less than 10% of the floor area of that storey, it may be classified the same as the remainder of the storey instead of needing to comply as a separate classification.
Lets have a look at an example on the next slide
Proceed to the next slide
Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012

12. Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012
Exercise - from P24
Building Classification ?
1. abattoirs
2. hospital a
3. government offices 5
4. football ground stadium 9b
5. two storey house 1a
6. block of flats
7. hotel
8. butter factory. 8
Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012

13. Performance & Acceptable Construction - from P27
Performance based regulations differ in that they set levels of performance that must be achieved.
also referred to as objective based
set mandatory levels of performance required
do not dictate how to achieve required results
must ultimately be ‘accepted’ by a Certifying Authority
Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012

14. Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012
Volume Two
Contains information on the operation and application of the BCA
Section 1
Contains all Performance Requirements for volume Two
Section 2
Section 3
Contains Acceptable Construction or the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions
Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012

15. Acceptable Construction
MANUALS
ACCEPTABLE
CONSTRUCTION
PRACTICE OR
Acceptable Construction Manuals can include Australian Standards
Acceptable Construction Practice will generally reflect traditional construction techniques
Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012

16. BCA Structure & Example - from P28
Performance Requirements – state mandatory levels of performance for Building Solutions
Building Solutions – are solutions that comply with Performance Requirements and may be:
a Deemed-to-Satisfy solution
or an Alternative Solution
or a combination of both
Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012

17. BCA Structure & Example -
BCA, Part 3, section 3 – Parts 3.1 to 3.12 (BCA 2012 from page 101)
These are “ deemed-to-satisfy provisions that are considered to be acceptable forms of construction that meet the legislative requirements for complying with the housing provisions” (BCA, 2012 p. 101)
Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012

18. Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012
Scenario One
Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012

19. Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012
Scenario One
What's the problem ?
Site drainage problem
Causing water ponding in sub floor
Decay of stumps
Decay of timber joists and bearers
What class of building ?
Class 1a, residential house
Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012

20. Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012
BCA Specific
BCA Surface water must be diverted away from class 1 buildings as follows:
(c) The ground beneath suspended floors must be graded so that the area beneath the building is above the adjacent external finished ground level and surface water is prevented from ponding under the building (see figure )
Continues next slide
Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012

21. Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012
BCA Specific (2012 page 118)
Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012

22. BCA Specific (BCA 2012, page 118)
Also consider
Subsoil drainage
Where a subsoil drainage system is installed to divert subsurface water away from the area beneath a building, the subsoil drain must……
Anything else ??
Michael Martin - Cert IV - Codes and Standards 2012