Nation Construction Codes of Australia

1. • Why regulate?
• An overview of the National
Construction Code (NCC)
• Australian construction project
databases
• Assignment 1

2. Why regulate?
In this section we cover:
• Why is building and plumbing
work regulated?
• How does the Australian
regulatory framework work?
• What is the structure of a typical
regulatory framework for
building and plumbing?

3. Why regulate?
• The primary reason for regulation
is to protect people.
• These include building occupants
and people outside a building
during:
• Construction;
• Operational life; and
• Demolition.
Building life cycle: Omrany, H., et al. (2020)

4. • Mitigation of risks to life
• Structural collapse;
• Fire and etc.
• To address health, amenity and accessibility issues such as:
• Dampness and ventilation;
• Accessibility;
• Lighting;
• Sound transmission;
• Sanitation; and
• Access to and within a building.
Why regulate?

5. To promote sustainable development, including:
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions;
• Increasing energy efficiency of buildings;
• Resilience to extreme weather events; and
• Conserving water.
Why regulate?

6. National construction code (NCC) of Australia
 The National Construction Code (NCC) details the minimum necessary
requirements for “safety”, “health, amenity and accessibility” and
“sustainability” in the design and construction of new buildings
throughout Australia.
 NCC is maintained and published by the Australian Building Codes
Board (ABCB).
The NCC can be downloaded after registering an account at https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/ncc-online/NCC

7. National construction code (NCC) of Australia
ABCB activities are governed by a Board consisting of representatives from:
• Australian government;
• State and Territory governments;
• Local government; and
• The building and construction industry.
The NCC can be downloaded after registering an account at https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/ncc-online/NCC

8. Format of the NCC
The Building Code of Australia (BCA) is Volume One and
Volume Two of the NCC.
• BCA Volume One pertains primarily to
Class 2 to 9 buildings.
• BCA Volume Two pertains primarily to
Class 1 and 10 buildings.
The Plumbing Code of Australia (PCA) is Volume Three
of the NCC.
• PCA Volume Three pertains primarily to plumbing
and drainage associated with all classes of buildings.

9. What does the NCC
apply to?
• The BCA applies to:
• New construction;
• Additions and alterations; and
• Change of use of a building.
• The PCA applies to:
• New installations;
• Alterations, additions,
replacements; and
• Repairs to existing installations.

10. Overview of the NCC
The NCC is the community’s minimum standard
for new buildings and plumbing works:
• Referenced in State & Territory building
law;
• Amended every three years;
• Not best practice;
• Regulate to overcome market failure;
• Cost effective solutions.

11. Legislative
framework

12. Some standards
•AS1684 –Residential Timber Frame Construction
•AS2870 –Residential Slabs and Footings
•AS3000 –Electrical Installations
•AS3500 –Plumbing and Drainage
•AS1170 –Structural Design Actions
•AS4055 –Wind Loads for Housing
•AS4440 –Installation of Nailplated Timber Roof Trusses

13. Building classification in
NCC
• NCC groups buildings by their
functions and use.
• Building classifications are labelled
“Class 1” through to “Class 10”.
Some classifications also have sub-
classifications, referred to by a letter
after the number (e.g., Class 1a).

14. Building classification in
NCC
• Class 2 to 9 buildings are mostly
covered by Volume One of the NCC,
and Class 1 and 10 buildings are
mostly covered by Volume Two of
the NCC.
• Volume Three of the NCC refers to
all building classifications.

15. Building classification in
NCC
• A building may have parts that have
different uses. In most cases, each of
these parts must be classified
separately.
• A building (or part of a building)
may also have more than one use
and may be assigned more than one
classification.

16. When is the NCC amended?
• The NCC is amended every three years.
• It is adopted on the 1st of May 2019.
• The next NCC edition is due in 2022.

17. Activities
• To access the NCC, visit:
ncc.abcb.gov.au
• Register an account at ABCB
website and download the NCC
volumes.
• Explore the ABCB website and
understand its role and missions.
• Read the project classification
details of NCC.
• Roughly browse the various NCC
volumes to get an idea of what
are included in NCC. To access the NCC, register your details here, submit
and receive your confirmation email and password

18. Australian construction project databases
• Buildings and houses
o Green Star project directory
o NABERS project directory
o NatHERS data summary
o Urban
• Infrastructure projects

19. Buildings and houses
Green Star Project Directory provided by
Green Building Council Australia.
Include information for appx. 3,000 certified
green buildings.
https://www.gbca.org.au/project-directory.asp

20. National Australian Built Environment
Rating System (NABERS) project
directory.
Include 9,064 rating information of
projects.
https://www.nabers.gov.au/ratings/find-a-
current-rating
Buildings and houses

21. NatHERS data summary developed by
CSIRO.
Include high-level information derived from
NatHERS rating of more than 660,000
projects.
https://ahd.csiro.au/dashboards/
Buildings and houses

22. Urban
Include more than 9,000 new residential
project (apartment and townhouses)
developments
https://www.urban.com.au/developments
Buildings and houses

23. The Australian Government’s National Infrastructure Construction Schedule (NICS)
is a link to state, territory and industry-led infrastructure websites, that provide
investors and construction contractors with detailed information on infrastructure
pipelines, tendering and contracting opportunities.
NICS is a one-stop portal to projects nationally, to assist in providing greater
visibility of opportunities for investment and participation in the delivery of critical
infrastructure.
https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure/nics/index.aspx
Infrastructure projects

24. Australian Government
Department of Infrastructure,
Transport, Regional Development and
Communications
http://maps.infrastructure.gov.au/ipam
s/#/
Infrastructure projects

25. Australian Government
Department of Planning, Transport
and Infrastructure
https://www.dpti.sa.gov.au/infrastructure
#find-your-next-jobopportunity
Infrastructure projects