Revision of Standard for Timber-framed buildings NZS 3604 – leadership group update

As advised in December 2008, NZS 3604:1999, the key Standard for building timber-framed houses in New Zealand, is being revised. The draft revised Standard is planned for release in late 2009, and the new NZS 3604 is planned for publication by late 2010/early 2011.

NZS 3604 is an important Standard in the building and construction industry, setting a minimum standard for the design and construction of timber framed houses in New Zealand. About 90% of timber-framed houses in New Zealand feature elements of NZS 3604 in their design and construction.

Architects, designers, builders, engineers, the building industry, and regulators use NZS 3604 for practical guidance on how to design and build houses to meet New Zealand Building Code requirements, without the need for specific engineering design. Timber-framed houses designed to NZS 3604 give consumers assurance that their house will meet legislative requirements.

Describing the structural durability of housing – new ISO Standard helps international communication

A new ISO Standard has been published in a series that provides a framework for describing the performance of housing. The new Standard aims to help international communication on the structural durability of houses. The framework is aimed at buyers and sellers, manufacturers and consumers, national Standards writers, and regulators.

Houses – Description of performance – Part 3: Structural durability, ISO 15928-3:2009, includes principles for describing the structural durability performance of housing and the factors that need to be taken into account when describing performance, component design life, maintenance schedules, and internal and external environmental aspects. The Standard aims to:

• help international trade in houses and housing products
• make information on houses and housing products easier to understand and exchange internationally
• provide a framework for evaluation and acceptance of houses, and for terms for expressing user needs.

Minimum ground snow loads clarified

Reprinted from Codewords 35, March 2009, Department of Building and Housing

The impact of heavy snowfalls on buildings at low altitudes in the central and southern South Island led to the Department setting a minimum ground snow load in the Compliance Document for Structure (B1). The following technical guidance on how this minimum ground snow load should be applied is for engineers and designers.

The Department has received questions about the minimum snow load on the ground (s_g) specified in the amendment to Compliance Document B1/VM1, and whether this applies to both the Ultimate Limit State and the Serviceability Limit State.

The snow load on the ground value (s_g) is the base value used to determine the design snow load in accordance with AS/NZS 1170. The amendment to the Compliance Document states: 'For Regions N4 and N5, the minimum value of s_g must be taken as 0.9kPa'.

Guidance on garage classification

Reprinted from Codewords 35, March 2009, Department of Building and Housing

The Department of Building and Housing has moved to clarify the classification of freestanding, uninhabited garages.

Classification of these garages had been ambiguous, as they are not explicitly mentioned under any importance level. The Department now considers that such garages should be classified as Importance Level 1 (low consequence of failure).

Building importance levels reflect the balance of a variety of factors, including consequences of failure and the cost of designing buildings to withstand applied loads.

This guidance is issued under Compliance Document B1/VM1 and AS/NZS 1170:2002.¹ This Standard, like the previously referenced NZS 4203, differentiates buildings based on the risk that their failure would present to the safety of people, as well as any social, economic, and environmental consequences that might arise.

NEW PUBLICATIONS

AS/NZS 4793:2009 Mechanical tapping bands for waterworks purpose

Specifies requirements for design, materials, and performance in service of PN 16 mechanical tapping bands used for the connection of property service pipes to reticulation watermains. It applies to tapping bands, with and without electrical insulation, for mechanical connection to standard watermains, with the exception of tapping bands for polyethylene watermains that are covered in AS/NZS 4129. The nominal operating temperature range is 0°C to 40°C.

AS/NZS 4998:2009 Bolted unrestrained mechanical couplings for waterworks purposes

Specifies requirements for unrestrained mechanical couplings for joining above or below ground water mains and wastewater mains, other than polyethylene (PE) piping, with pressure classifications of PN 16 and PN 35 and nominal sizes DN 80 to DN 750 and for a maximum working temperature of 40ºC.

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STANDARD WITHDRAWN

NZS 4219:1983 Specification for seismic resistance of engineering systems in buildings

Superseded by NZS 4219:2009

DRAFT STANDARDS FOR COMMENT

DR 09031 CP Amendment 4 to AS/NZS 6400 - Water efficient products - Rating and labelling

Amendment applies to the Foreword, Clauses 1.3.2, 1.3.4, 1.3.5, 1.3.9, 1.3.11, 1.3.12(new), 1.3.13(new) 2.1.3, 2.1.5, 2.1.6, 2.2.6, 2.3.1, 2.3.3, 2.3.4, 2.3.6, 2.4.2, 2.4.3, 2.4.4, 2.4.6, 2.5.1, 2.5.2, 2.5.3, 2.5.4, 2.5.6, 2.6.1, 2.6.3, 2.6.5, 2.6.6, 2.7.3, 2.7.6, 4.1, 4.2, 4.4, 4.6, 4.7, Tables 3.1 and 3.2, and Annexes A and B.

Public comment on this draft closes on 4 June 2009.

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DR 09033 Laboratory design and construction (Revision of AS/NZS 2982.1:1997)

Specifies requirements for the design and construction of laboratories. Sections 1 to 7 apply to all laboratories. Sections 8, 9 and 10 contain additional requirements that apply to biological, radiological, secondary school, and tertiary laboratories

Public comment on this draft closes on 26 June 2009.

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UPDATE ON STANDARDS IN DEVELOPMENT

Revision of NZS 3122:1995 and NZS 3123:1974

Committee: P3122-3123
Project manager: Mani Taare
Estimated publication date: August 2009
Comments: This is a project for the amendment of NZS 3122:1995 Specification for portland and blended cements (General and special purpose) and revision of NZS 3123:1974 Specification for Portland pozzolan cement (type PP cement). The committee met on 6 April and the draft is being edited prior to release for public comment.

Code of Practice for concrete structures for the storage of liquid

Committee: P3106 Phase 2
Project manager: Sonia van Ree
Estimated publication date: June 2009
Comments: Public Comment meeting was held March 17, and the Committee is now working through action points. The draft is awaiting final changes from the committee before being submitted for pre-publication editing.

Installing insulation – Amendment 1

Committee: P4246 A1
Project manager: Vicki Allison
Estimated publication date: October 2009
Comments: The committee has been constituted and the first meeting is scheduled for early May.

Thermal insulation – Housing and small buildings

Committee: P4218
Project manager: Sonia van Ree
Estimated publication date: June 2009
Comments: The remainder of the large number of Public Comments received are being worked through by the Committee, Postal ballot will then be carried out, this is expected to be early May.

Revision of NZS 3404 Steel structures – Phases 1, 2, & 3

Committee: P3404
Project manager: Jono East
Estimated publication date: June 2009 (NZS 3404 part 1 only)
Comments: A committee meeting was held in February, along with subsequent telephone meetings, to review public comments received on 3404 Part 1. Committee is commencing scoping work and revision of Parts 2 & 6.

WS-013 Review of domestic wastewater systems

Committee: WS-013
Project manager: Jono East
Estimated publication date: June 2009
Comments: The committee is revising AS/NZS1547 draft in light of comments received during the ballot stage.