The National Construction Code Bringing Building and Plumbing Together
Jan 20, 2016
The purpose of regulations:
“To keep out the fools and rascals”
- Hardy Cross (author of Engineers and Ivory Towers)
Background to theNational Construction Code
• Council of Australian Governments (COAG) initiative
• First step – building and plumbing
• All States/Territories have agreed to adopt by October 2012
Plumbing Code of Australia
• First published in 2004 by the National Plumbing Regulators Forum (NPRF)
• Not universally adopted by States and Territories• 2010 review by NPRF/ABCB working group
National Construction Code Series
Building Code Plumbing CodeGuide to
Volume OneVolume One
S&T Appendices
Regulatory Framework
State/Territory Act
NCC (incl. Plumbing Code of Australia)
Referenced documents(incl. Australian Standards)
State/Territory Regulations
Performance Requirements
• Set the level of performance that a plumbing or drainage solution must meet, e.g.-– A cold water service for human
consumption must comply with drinking water guidelines etc…; or
– A sanitary plumbing system must be installed to minimise noise, blockages, stormwater ingress etc…
Deemed-to-Satisfy
• Solutions that are ‘deemed-to-satisfy’ a requirement – i.e. an accepted solution
• Referenced standards and other documents
• AS/NZS 3500 series of standards
Alternative Solutions
• Alternative means of compliance• Assessed through ‘Assessment Methods’
– Part A2.2 of PCA– Verification Methods– Expert Judgement– Comparison to DTS
What does it mean for you?
• PCA is now the primary regulatory code
• Opportunity for innovation through Alternative Solutions
• AS/NZS 3500 series still provides the bulk of technical detail
• Still need to use WaterMarked products
Plumbing Code Committee
• Assess technical proposals to change the Plumbing Code of Australia and provide technical advice to the Board
Plumbing Code CommitteeBuilding Ministers Forum
ABCB Board
Building Codes Committee
ABCB Office
Plumbing Code Committee
What the future holds• Heated water deadwater draw-off
• Waterless urinals
• Review of AS/NZS 3500 suite
• Solar hot water review
• Scoping study for gasfitting in NCC
Heated Water Dead Water Draw-off
• Wasted water and energy?
• Project will establish-– ‘Typical’ water losses
– Energy losses incl. by water cooling in pipework
– Options and impact analysis
Waterless Urinals
• Project will establish– Extent of problem
– Potential solutions if necessary
– Impact analysis
12 months after installationPhoto from NPRF Advisory Note 2009
AS/NZS 3500 Suite Review
• Review for regulatory use in PCA
• Compliance with ABCB Protocol– Public policy, regulatory statements
and administrative matters
– PCA duplication and compatibility
– Manufacturer’s or supplier’s instructions
Solar Hot Water Review
• AS/NZS 3500 Part 4 Section 6 – Lacks installation requirements
– Relies on “manufacturer’s instructions”
– Specific orientation and inclination provisions required
Gasfitting
• Scoping study to determine whether gasfitting should also be included in NCC
Plumbing Resource Kit
• One of a series ABCB produces
• Designed for trainers
• Includes lecture notes, group exercises and frequently asked questions
Plumbing Resource Kit
Role of Regulator
NCC
Role of PCA
Why PCA?
Using the PCA
Recent Changes Materials / Products
Performance Req’ts
Deemed-to-Satisfy
Alternative Solutions
Variations & Additions
More about ABCB
Tailor to Different Audiences
All Slides
1st Year Apprentices
3rd Year Apprentices
Cert IV Students
Contractors (60-90 min.)
Contractors (20 min.)