BCA 2010 - ABCB - Australian Building Codes Board

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BAF 2009 OVERVIEW Construction hazards prevention through design: a comparison of different mechanisms for regulation Tracey Cooke, Research Fellow, School of Property Construction & Project Management, RMIT, explained that while the incidence of compensated construction accidents was falling, compared to Australia generally, they were still significantly higher than the average. Evidence suggests that decisions made at the design stage of a building can have a significant impact on OHS during the construction, maintenance, occupation and demolition stages of a building’s life cycle. A question of continuing control: balancing building quality of housing and building codes Mohammed Azian Zaidi from Deakin University reminded delegates that the average cost of defects per house built between 1983 and 1997 in Victoria amounted to $4,225, which represents 4% of the contract value of new housing construction, with the most common causes of defects being inadequate design information and poor site practice, poor specification and construction practice, and noncompliance with building regulations. Prime reasons: lack of quality control, lack of interaction and communication between stakeholders, lack of technical guidance and conflicting requirements. Solution: whole of building commissioning, effective handover of operations, and effective briefing. Facilitating innovation without compromising performance: challenges faced, lessons learned, and a look into the future Among the many highlights of the day’s presentations was Dr Brian Meacham’s – Associate Professor, Department of Fire Protection Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Maryland, USA. Brian argued (with a host of examples) that Performance Based (PB) regulatory systems are innovative, and that they facilitate innovation, and that while they deliver new opportunities, they also come with risk. Brian then provided an overview of the challenges to do with PB regulatory systems, and also an outline of the strategies employed in balancing innovation with risk. The role of Standards in supporting strategic priorities John Tucker, CEO of Standards Australia, took delegates through a brief history of Standards Australia, and went on to explain the steps in the process including engagement with the sector, performing a net benefit analysis, development pathways in the formulation of Standards, and innovation in Standards development. Triple stack car parking systems: an innovative solution to meet future fire safety challenges Wayne Bretherton, Director of Fire Engineering for UK & Western Europe, WSP Group PLC, explained the project requirements, the challenges, the regulatory framework and the Fire Engineering Assessment in arriving at a triple stack car parking system for a building where space was limited. Day Three - Energy Efficiency: Future Directions Ably chaired by Jon Traw, the third day of the conference focused on Energy Efficiency: Future Directions. Making a greenhouse difference with Australia’s buildings Dr Alan Pears, Associate Director, RMIT Centre for Design provided an excellent overview of the built environment’s sustainability key performance indicators, and where buildings stood in the Climate Change Agenda. Alan’s opening address was again followed by more detailed perspectives by the contributing departments, industry associations and groups, including: Developing a nationally consistent framework for setting building energy efficiency standards David Brunoro, Buildings & Government Energy Efficiency Branch DEWHA, who spoke on the Holy Grail of national building codes development, the development of a nationally consistent framework for setting building energy efficiency standards. Energy Efficiency: an industry perspective Kristin Tomkins, Executive Director Building Policy, Housing Industry Association got everyone on their feet (for her industry head-count) and argued for greater clarity, uniformity and education in the provision of energy efficiency regulations for industry to understand, assimilate and act on. Thermal resistance of Australian roofing systems Dr Martin Belusko, Research Fellow, Institute for Sustainable Systems and Technologies, University of South Australia, explained some of the advances intended for inclusion in the development of the next generation of thermal assessment software, and most specifically to answer the vexing anomalies caused by thermal bridging. 28 • Australian Building Regulation Bulletin
A practical application of the UK sustainability requirements Wayne Bretherton, Director of Fire Engineering for UK & Western Europe, WSP Group PLC, gave an excellent presentation on the 43 storey strata tower complex in the Elephant and Castle district of London, the design features that contributed to the higher levels of energy performance in the building, its design intent in terms of providing a percentage of affordable housing, and its integration into the MUSCo combined heating and power system, a local district biomass powered co-generation system pioneered by engineer Alan Jones in England, (and embraced by the City of London, and subsequently reviewed by the City of Sydney). Improving the energy performance of buildings Dennis D’Arcy, CEO Insulation Council of Australia & New Zealand spoke on the benefits of insulation, and improving the energy performance of buildings, as well as highlighting key findings that suggest a combination of regulation and incentives are the most effective drivers for change. The influence of R-values on the thermal characteristics of Australian housing Adrian Page, Emeritus Professor , Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment, University of Newcastle presented an experimental study of the various walling systems in housing, with some interesting preliminary findings. Firstly, that there is no correlation between wall R-values and thermal performance for either floating or controlled interiors. Secondly therefore, that reliance on R-value alone in deemed to satisfy provisions would be questionable. Thirdly, the presentation asked the question: could the best performance be obtained from a combination of high thermal resistance and thermal mass? The morning’s sessions then culminated in a presentation by John Kennedy, Energy Efficiency Manager, Australian Building Codes Board, who spoke on The Building Code: keeping step, and in particular the progress on the energy efficiency reporting requirements mandated by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) and the ABCB’s consultation with associations, state governments, industry groups and practitioners. The Association of Building Sustainability Assessors (ABSA) provided an excellent workshop on the Energy Efficiency Simulation Tools in the afternoon, giving practical case study examples of the software in situ, and an outline of the issues involved. The conference provided a great opportunity to meet with industry practitioners, to better understand the component contributors that make up the rich and varied tapestry of the regulatory environment nationally and around the globe, and to understand some of our efforts, responsibilities and obligations in delivering a more sustainable built environment. BAF 2009 OVERVIEW Australian Building Regulation Bulletin • 29
Page 1: BULLETIN AUSTRALIAN BUILDING REGULA
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Page 6 and 7: BCA & INDUSTRY NEWS BPIC MAINTAININ
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