This video from the 2022 NCC Seminars discusses Section F Health and amenity from NCC 2022 Volume One.

Transcript

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[Music]

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Hello my name is Graham Moss, I'm the Principal  Building Surveyor for the Australian Building Codes Board

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and this video is an update on NCC 2022 Volume One Section F health and amenity.

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I'll get into the technical changes  in Section F shortly but first I want  

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to show you the structural changes or the changing to the referencing system.

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What we've done for 2022 is we've taken what  was F1 in 2019 and broken that into three parts.

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Now F1 today in NCC 2019 is not a very long  part it's about nine pages in my hard copy BCA.

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But it's grown in 2022 we've got some additional  Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions and once more we're  

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doing some work at the moment and we plan to put  more provisions in NCC 2025 the next scheduled  

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edition of the NCC. So it made sense for NCC  2022 to split Part F1 into three different parts.

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So part F1, the new part F1, is surface  water management, rising damp and  

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external waterproofing, water outside  the building. Part F2 is where there  

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is an overflow protection, water inside the  building and Part F3 is roof and wall cladding.

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So as a result of splitting Part F1 from  2019 into three parts for 2022  

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Section F in 2022 has changed its structure quite  significantly, what was six parts is now eight.

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So to the technical changes F1D4 is the first  one I'll talk about today it's a new clause  

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that recognizes that construction joints are where  leaks tend to happen. So under the Deemed-to-Statisfy  

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provisions for NCC 2022 your construction joints, your control joints, expansion joints, key joints in  

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fact any type of joint that is a part of a roof  or a balcony or something like that that needs  

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to be waterproofed in accordance with AS 4654.2  that's a standard already referenced by the NCC.

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If these joints are part of a roof balcony  or something like that that needs to be  

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waterproofed then that joint needs to  be waterproofed in accordance with 4654.2 that  

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is it needs to be protected. Now note subclause (b)  in F1D4 here, our analysis showed us that there  

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are enough situations where control joints  have been installed under fish ponds, under  

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green roofs, under plantar boxes and things like  that which are consistently wet there's enough  

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control joints in those scenarios to make it  necessary to include that subclause, which  

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is saying don't put those control joints there  because that's where a failure is going to occur.

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Now I need to clarify a few things about F1D4 exposed joints to help you use it in NCC 2022.

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The first thing I want to clarify  is this term here drainage surface,

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so what is a drainage surface, well  put simply it's what the rain falls on.

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F1D4 is about surfaces exposed to weather so  think flat roofs, podiums, rooftop courtyards,

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things like that so the rain falls on these  surfaces and that rain has to drain somewhere  

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so of course that makes it a drainage surface  so when we're talking about drainage surfaces  

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of course we're talking about things that the  rain falls on and therefore needs to drain away.  

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The next thing I want to clarify in F1D4 here  is in this notes box we talk about an  

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exposed joint which is directly below the drainage  surface. Now this is a notes box which is normative  

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it's not information it's explanatory it's not  commentary it's actually a part of the provision  

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and sets out something that needs to be complied  with. What this notes box is saying is that an  

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exposed joint which is directly below the drainage  surface is one which needs to be protected also.  

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So what sort of scenario is that what are we  getting at when we're talking about an exposed  

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joint directly below the drainage surface. Let me explain using this example so consider  

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this concrete slab we'll consider it a podium  and so the rain is falling on this podium  

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and so of course the top of this concrete slab  becomes a drainage surface and so you might be  

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thinking okay I've got a control joint in this  drainage surface therefore F1D4 is telling me  

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I need to provide protection in accordance with AS 4654.2. However someone might think here's an idea  

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I don't want that to be the drainage surface I'll  introduce a new drainage surface, I put down some  

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grout, put down some tiles on top of that and now  the tiles become the drainage surface and the  

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control joint is no longer in the drainage surface, great idea? Well no it doesn't work that way.

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It's true that the tiles have become the drainage  surface but the notes box that I pointed out for  

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F1D4 clarifies that we're also talking about  construction joints that are directly below  

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or just below the drainage surface. So backing  rods, some grout and tiles isn't going to cut it  

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when it comes to F1D4 for NCC 2022. Instead  the solution might look something like this  

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this is a representation of one of the details in  AS 4654.2, as you can see we've got a membrane which  

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is bonded to the slab either side of the control  joint, we've also got a tape over the backing Rod  

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so as to allow movement and then another membrane  goes over the top of the tape and buns to the  

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membranes either side and then the grout and tiles  can go down. Just one last thing on F1D4 exposed  

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joints you may have noticed that among other  things this provision applies to joints in roofs  

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and you may be thinking well what about a  metal roof or a tiled roof or a conventional  

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sort of roof that's not a concrete slab do  I have to go and treat those joints as well? 

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Well the answer is no of course and that's taken care  of by Part F1's application clause which is here  

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on the screen F1D2. Now F1D2 is setting out that  F1D4 the joint clause does not apply to a roof  

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covering that complies with F3D2 (a) to (d) which I  have listed there the conventional types of roofs.

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Note also application of part that F1D5  a provision I'll show you shortly does not  

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apply to a roof with a covering complying F3D2 so a conventionally covered roof and also  

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it doesn't apply it to a perforated surface  or a surface which is directly above ground.

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What's F1D5, well I'm glad you asked  that's the next change I want to show  

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you and that's external weatherproofing  membranes, external waterproofing membranes. 

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Now F1D5 is a development of what's in NCC 2019  as F1.4. Now in NCC 2019 F 1.4 simply says that  

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waterproofing membranes for external above ground  use must comply with AS 4654.1 and AS 4654.2.

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Now strictly speaking F1.4 under NCC 2019  doesn't say that you have to install it,

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read strictly it's saying that if you do install  it you need to comply with the AS 4654 series.

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So as you can see in the changes on  the screen here F1D5 is saying that  

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yes every roof, every balcony, every podium, every similar horizontal surface or part  

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of a building must be protected  with a waterproofing membrane.

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If you want to do something different, for example  if you want your balcony to have a plain concrete  

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finish then that would have to be a performance  solution on account of this new provision F1D5.

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So remember how I showed you application of  Part F1D2 I'm showing you this photograph to  

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demonstrate how F1D5 doesn't apply to a balcony  that is directly above the ground. So consider the  

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ground floor apartments in this photograph here, the one for instance closest to the photographer.

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The ground floor apartments here are directly  above the ground and therefore that balcony  

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would not need to be treated for weatherproofing. In accordance with AS 4654.2 it won't need a  

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membrane, however the other balconies pictured  in this photograph, the ones that aren't directly  

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above the ground would need to be provided with  a membrane on account of the new provision F1D5.

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Next is Part F2 wet areas and overflow, now not  much has changed but at the same time a lot has  

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changed, what do I mean by that? Well not much has  changed there hasn't been many technical changes  

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I will show you the technical changes in a moment  but at the same time a lot of the old requirements  

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are presented in a new way, especially  Table F1.7 part of which I have shown on this  

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slide here. Now being the Australian Government  we're confined to publishing guidelines and  

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under those guidelines we can only use tables  for representing data, tabulated data, we can't  

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use tables for presenting text in the way that  F1.7 does now. So we've had to make amendments  

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for NCC 2022 where this tabulated text is  taken out and placed into clauses. I'll show  

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you what that looks like in a moment but first  note the technical requirements in NCC 2019  

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for shower walls, note that water resistant was all  that's required for shower walls up to the 1800mm  

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of course the junctions have to be  waterproof also the first 150mm has to  

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be waterproof but the walls need only be up  to the 1800, the walls need only be water resistant.

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This is what that information looks like in NCC  2022, first note the technical change the walls  

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of the shower area must now be waterproof not  water resistant for that full 1800 millimeters  

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but note also how what was presented in a table is  now presented as a clause in a new specification  

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Specification 26. Now you might remember that  handheld bidet spray suddenly became popular  

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recently, so the BCA is keeping up with the times  we now have additional waterproofing requirements

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for toilets with a bidet spray so you'll note that  this is more stringent than a room that contains

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only a toilet without the bidet spray. Before we  leave Part F2 here's another technical change it's  

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a change to do with floor waste, this photograph is  of a change room in an office building in the hand  

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basin area I have shown here a floor waste, now that floor waste is not required by the NCC.  

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There's only three times that the NCC makes you  install a floor waste that's when it's inside  

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a shower, that's when you have a shower you need  to have it install a floor waste for the shower  

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that's when you have a bathroom or laundry above a sole-occupany unit or a public space for Class 2, 3 and 4 buildings

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or Class 4 parts of a building of course that's F1.11's requirements  

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in NCC 2019, which remains the case for NCC 2022. And also if you have a room containing a urinal  

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there's a requirement to provide a floor waste  but those are the only times that a floor waste  

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is required by the BCA. So this floor waste in the  photograph here is a voluntarily provided floor  

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waste because it's not serving a shower a bathroom  above an SOU or a room containing a urinal.

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Now this floor waste photographed here is a little  bit like if I chose to install a fire hose reel in  

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my garage at home, now my garage at home is not  required to have a fire hose reel it's only a  

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Class 10a building. So if I choose to put a fire  hose reel in my garage at home because I like  

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fire hose reels well I don't have to put that fire  hose reel within four meters of an exit I don't  

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have to put that fire hose reel with a spindle  height at 1500 millimeters all these requirements  

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that would apply to a required fire hose reel  don't apply to one that's installed voluntarily.

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Now that's the case under NCC 2019 for this  particular floor waste photographed here because  

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that floor waste is installed voluntarily there  is no need to grade the floor to that floor waste.

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However if it was a required floor waste like  in a shower or a bathroom or laundry above an  

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SOU or a public space in a Class 2, 3 building or a  Class 4 part of a building or in a room containing  

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a urinal, if the BCA said yes you must have that  floor waste then the BCA also says you must grade  

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the floor to that floor waste but a voluntarily  provided floor waste under NCC 2019 the floor  

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does not have to be graded to it. That changes  for NCC 2022, this is a change for both volumes  

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I've got both volumes shown here F2D4 in Volume  One and 10.2.12 for Volume Two. Now note that F2D4  

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subclause (2) we're saying that where a floor waste  is installed whether it be a floor waste that's  

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required otherwise by the BCA or a floor waste  that's installed voluntarily, if a floor waste is

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installed then the floor must be graded along the  line of the parameters shown on that slide.

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Next is Part F3 roof and wall cladding so I have a  photograph of a roof here, now this is the roof of  

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Terminal 3 at Sydney Airport, not every commercial  roof is covered in gravel I admit that but under  

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that gravel will be a concrete slab with a  waterproof membrane and that's a very common  

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way of finishing roofs in commercial buildings  in Australia. However it's also not a Deemed-to-Satisfy  

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solution because F1.5 lists the Deemed-to-Satisfy solutions for a commercial roof  

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and includes tiles metal sheet and a few other  things but it does not under NCC 2019 contain  

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waterproof slabs. That changes with NCC 2022 we've  added a new option in F3D2 what used to be F1.5 

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and as you can see there an option for a  roof is an external waterproofing membrane  

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complying with F1D5 which is that  provision that we covered recently.

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Now speaking of a lack of Deemed-to-Satisfy  provisions for a long time we've had this note  

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in F1.0 of Volume One, it's an information box not  a normative note just an informative information  

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box reminding you that there are no Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions for weatherproofing  

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of external walls in Volume One. Now I'm glad to  say that this box is deleted in NCC 2022 and  

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that's because in NCC 2022 we now have Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions for wall cladding, you can  

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use masonry to 3700, autoclaved aerated concrete  to 5146.3 or metal wall cladding to AS 1562.1.

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We've included those standards because each of  those have provisions covering the weatherproofing  

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of the external walls and so they can be called up  for the purposes of demonstrating weatherproofing

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compliance with relevant performance requirements. Now this might seem restrictive, commercial  

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buildings are clad in more ways than just  these three ways so that's why we're working  

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on introducing further Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions  for commercial cladding in Volume One and we plan  

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to have these additional provisions in NCC 2025, the next scheduled edition of the NCC.

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So in the meantime it might not seem like many  but of course it's better than nothing which  

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is what we've got currently in NCC 2019 so  an inclusion and an improvement for NCC 2022.

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This next change is in Part F4 and it's a  clarification currently the BCA has this line in  

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NCC 2019 requiring that in certain circumstances  an ambulant facility must be provided for use by  

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males and females. Now apparently this has been  interpreted by many as meaning that it's okay  

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in normal circumstances to have a single unisex  ambulant facility because it can be used by males  

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and females, well that's not the intent. Which  is why F4D5 which is the development of this  

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provision for NCC 2022 contains this clarification  and as you can see we really spell it out we've  

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taken nine words and replaced them with 37, the  sentence is now much longer but it is clear it's  

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pointing out that a facility for males and a  separate facility for females must be provided.

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Now of course F4D4 applies that's F2.3 in the  current BCA and F4D4 or F2.3 in NCC 2019 sets  

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out some circumstances where you don't have to  provide separate facilities for males and females,

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these are the only reasons where you might have a  single ambulant facility a single sex ambulant  

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facility but other than these circumstances  outlined on the slide you must have at least  

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two ambulant facilities, one for males and one  for females in circumstances where the building  

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is required to have ambulant facilities. Now the  last change to cover in Part F is in Specification 28

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which is currently known as Specification F5.2 under NCC 2019 that's a table of forms of  

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construction that meet specified sound insulation  ratings, now Spec 5.2 has been in the BCA since  

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its first edition BCA 1988 and this particular  table row, this particular item has been in there  

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since 1988 since BCA88 19 mm tongue and groove  boards, not yellow tongue we're talking 19 mm  

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floorboards with insulation placed as shown in  the specification here. Now not many people have  

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used this particular table row inside the last  decade, what I'm saying is that Spec F5.2 has  

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been modernized we've included more modern forms  of construction like this one here. We've taken out  

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the floorboards and replaced it with timber flooring  that's that's current conventional construction.

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Now of course just as it's always been you don't  have to use Specification 28 you're welcome to  

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use other systems that are shown to comply through  lab testing and a manufacturer might demonstrate  

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that for their floor systems or of course  you can use one of the verification methods.

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That's all we're covering in this  video for Part F but I can't leave  

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Part F without a watch this space  note for condensation management.

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At the time of the recording of this video  final sign off was yet to occur for condensation  

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management provisions so therefore I'm not able to  provide you an update in this video. However we do  

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plan to support these provisions with education so  please keep an eye on our website abcb.gov.au.