Exercise: Analyse Compliance to the NCC (BCA)

Exercise: Analyse Compliance to the NCC (BCA)

Project: Waste Water Treatment Plant

The plans for the wastewater treatment plant do not include a fire hydrant system and the installation of such a system will cost $600,000. This report will investigate whether the wastewater treatment plant will require a fire hydrant system by first determining which building class the plant belongs to as well as the relevant code provisions provided by the NCC with regards to the installation of a fire hydrant system.

The wastewater treatment plant according to the National Construction Code (NCC) falls in the category Volume One which consists of Class 2 to 9 building. The wastewater treatment is categorized as a class 8 building as it is similar to a factory due to the fact that its main function is to alter or process water. Under the NCC, in section E1.3 which relates to firefighting equipment the main considerations that determine the need for a fire hydrant system are the fire hazard and the floor area of the building. A method to determine the fire hazard associated with a building is to find the building’s fire rating.

Determining the Fire rating of a building

The first step in determining the fire rating of a building is to first asses the construction type for that particular building. There are three types of buildings according to the Australian Building Codes Board namely type A which are buildings that are the most fire-resistant then type B and type C which are less resistant to fire. A factor that determines the fire rating of a building is the number of stories it has as well as its building class. In the case of the wastewater treatment plant which is a class 8 building which has only one story, it is less resistant to fires as indicated in the table below.

Figure 1Building Fire Rating According To Number Of Floors (Shih, Sher, & Giggins, 2013)

The next step in determining the fire rating of the building is to determine its type of construction with regards to its floor area and total volume as they correspond to its building class. Buildings with a higher total volume and floor area will be more resistant to fire than those with a smaller floor area and volume. The wastewater treatment plant has only one story and a low floor area as well as a low volume which make it less resistant to fire as indicated in the diagram below.

Figure 2 Building Fire Rating According To Floor Area (Shih Et Al., 2013)

Conclusion

The conclusion reached by this report through the investigation of the building provisions provided under NCC indicates that a fire hydrant system must be added to the plans of the wastewater treatment plant. Despite the plant being in on a greenfield site which is isolated from other buildings the assessment on the total number of floors, the buildings volume and floor area show that the building is not resistant to fires. Consequentially, the lack a fire hydrant system in the water waste treatment plant may result in damage as a result of a fire in the future, therefore, it is advisable for the introduction of such a system despite its high cost.

Reference

Shih, S.-Y., Sher, W., & Giggins, H. (2013). Assessment of the Building Code of Australia to Inform the Development of BIM-enabled Code-checking Systems. Paper presented at the Proceedings of CIB World Building Congress.