Non-Combustible Cladding - The Rules Have Changed
The rules around the type of cladding you may use for external walls has changed. Whether you’re an architect, builder, developer or home owner you need to know about these cladding requirements.
There has been a spate of disastrous building fires where the cladding has contributed significantly to the spread and intensity of the fire.
Incidents such as the high rise apartment fires in London’s Grenfell Tower or closer to home, in Melbourne’s Neo 200 Complex and the Lacrosse Tower have the potential for heavy loss of life as well as enormous financial costs.
Investigations showed that cladding containing flammable material were a significant factor in allowing the fire to spread rapidly across multiple levels.
An extensive audit of at-risk buildings throughout Australia has lead to a rethink of how cladding needs to protect buildings from fire.
When Did These Rules Change?
These changes were adopted with the National Construction Code (NCC) 2019 iteration. A 2020 advisory note added additional clarification around aspects such as internal linings on external walls and the use of render.
The purpose of these rule changes is to prevent the spread of fire via external cladding.
What Does It Mean For Me?
You will need to comply with these new requirements if you’re designing a new build or completing a renovation.
Failure to rectify existing issues regarding non-compliant cladding may lead to hefty fines and even prison sentences.
In short, all external walls need to be made of non-combustible materials. External walls are those walls deemed integral to the building construction and include elements such as insulation, facades, internal lining and framing.
These rules apply to type A and B buildings and apply whether the wall needs to be fire rated or not.
The requirements for non-combustible external wall claddings in no way reduce or negate the BAL requirements or the AS 1562.1:2018 Design and Installation of Sheet Roof and Wall Cladding standard.
Cladding is classed as non-combustible if it passes the testing requirements of AS1530.1.
The requirements for this test are quite severe and allow a cladding product to contain no more than 0.5% combustible material. In practical terms, a material is considered combustible if it flames for more than 5 seconds when subjected to a fire for 30 minutes.
Materials that may not meet these strict requirements may be deemed fit for purpose where the flammability is considered to be extremely low. These products are listed below.
When Did These Rules Change?
These changes were adopted with the National Construction Code (NCC) 2019 iteration. A 2020 advisory note added additional clarification around aspects such as internal linings on external walls and the use of render.
The purpose of these rule changes is to prevent the spread of fire via external cladding.
What Does It Mean For Me?
You will need to comply with these new requirements if you’re designing a new build or completing a renovation.
Failure to rectify existing issues regarding non-compliant cladding may lead to hefty fines and even prison sentences.
In short, all external walls need to be made of non-combustible materials. External walls are those walls deemed integral to the building construction and include elements such as insulation, facades, internal lining and framing.
These rules apply to type A and B buildings and apply whether the wall needs to be fire rated or not.
The requirements for non-combustible external wall claddings in no way reduce or negate the BAL requirements or the AS 1562.1:2018 Design and Installation of Sheet Roof and Wall Cladding standard.
Cladding is classed as non-combustible if it passes the testing requirements of AS1530.1.
The requirements for this test are quite severe and allow a cladding product to contain no more than 0.5% combustible material. In practical terms, a material is considered combustible if it flames for more than 5 seconds when subjected to a fire for 30 minutes.
Materials that may not meet these strict requirements may be deemed fit for purpose where the flammability is considered to be extremely low. These products are listed below.
