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Expanding the Class 3 Buildings timber market |
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Monday, 19 July 2010 00:00 |
TDA hopes that revisions to the BCA will allow timber framing of up to 3 storeys in Australian hotels
TDA is consulting with regulators on a change to the Building Code of Australia (BCA) that would allow timber framing of up to 3 storeys in Class 3 Buildings (buildings such as hotels, hostels and motels). Should this campaign prove successful, the timber industry will enjoy a gradual expansion in Class 3 market share.
The BCA currently allows only 2 storeys of timber framing in Class 3 buildings, a restriction that Tony Walther, the TDA civil engineer overseeing this campaign, finds puzzling and contradictory:
“Class 2 Buildings are permitted three timber-framed storeys but Class 3 Buildings only two,” Tony said. “And yet the fire load of Class 2 buildings is higher than that of Class 3! It’s an inconsistency in the BCA that has persisted simply because it has never been properly challenged.”
Tony hopes that his consultation on this matter with the Australian Building Codes Board will shortly amend this inconsistency. Independent fire tests are expected to show that Tony has the weight of evidence on his side. It will be a matter, thereafter, of assembling the data from these tests and making a final submission.
“Should we manage to effect this change, the next step will all be about perceptions” said Tony. “But TDA has always been good at bringing building industry practice up to date with changes in the codes. I expect to see much more Class 3 timber framing in the Timber Design Awards in years to come!” |
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