Question 1: Classifying the following buildings
Public parking- class seven
Market– class six
Massage parlour- class three
Accountants- class five
Hairdressers- class six
Question 2: Defining the following
Assembly Building- This is a building that is constructed for the purpose of housing people who have gathered together for different purposes such as worship, entertainment and recreation. Churches buildings, restaurants and cinema halls may fall in this category (BCA, 2014, 1).
Building solution– This is a mixture of building elements that are used in construction and are to be mixed according to the BCA Performance Requirements (BCA, 2014, 1).
Certificate of Accreditation- This refers to the issuance of limits on the type of work that a building and construction organisation can engage in, as is specified by the ABCB National Accreditation. The accreditation normally assesses: work experience; educational qualifications; and the Committee to the Continuing Professional Development (ABCB, 2014, p. 1).
Certificate of Conformity- This certificate is issued by a licensed plumber so as to certify that the work being done conforms to the relevant plumbing codes, standards and regulations (ABCB, 2014, p. 1).
Question 3
The limitations that are placed upon the use of Australian Standards referenced in the BCA are that all building works are to fully comply with the BCA Code (Building Code of Australia). This means that the builders have to comply with BCA’s amenity, health, safety and sustainability issues standards, through the engagement of the National Construction Code (NCC) (Meacham, 2010, 890-2).
Question 4
Ashlar masonry refers to a finely cut, worked or dressed stone masonry either on an individual stone or as an entire work of art that was built on the same stone.
Question 5
What constitute a hollow terracotta block are burnt clay building materials and constructed walls of the building (BCA, 2014, 1).
Question 6
The Australian Standard which applies to the testing of specimens for a spread of flame and smoke development tests is the Steiner Tunnel Test (BCA, 2014, 1).
Question 7
The type of construction that could be approved for a single storey shop having a floor area of 800m2 is that of a shop (BCA, 2014, 1).
Question 8
Light weight construction uses steel building materials or wood frames wherein the floor and/or roof supporting systems are constructed using lightweight and prefabricated materials (BCA, 2014, 1).
Question 9
What constitutes a non combustible material are the elements specified in CAN4-S114. These include elements such as structural steel, bricks and concrete ((Hollis, 2013, 19).
Question 10
The maximum spread of flame and smoke development index for a lining attached to the wall of a fire isolated passage should be the one not exceeding the requirements of the NFPA 82 (ABCB, 2014, p. 1).
Question 11
A fire compartment is area in a building that completely surrounds fire-resistant construction and normally has an automated fire resistant door(s) (ABCB, 2014, p. 1).
Question 12
A spandrel wall is a wall between an arch and rectangular enclosing or between two arches (Uyeda, 2010, 15).
Question 13
The minimum distance between openings in walls which are directly opposite different fire compartments should not be smaller than the requirements of the NFPA 82 (BCA, 2014, 1).
Question 14
The minimum FRL of door to fire isolated stairs should be at least 240/240/240 Fire Resistant Levels (FRL) (BCA, 2014, 1).
Question 15
The classification of an open spectator stand is class 10 b.
Question 16
The maximum height of an external stair serving as a required exit should not exceed Group R-2 and R-3 or a vertical rise that exceeds 12 feet between floor landings and levels (ABCB, 2014, p. 1).
Question 17
The minimum and maximum distance between exits in a three storey office will be in accordance with the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005 (BCA 2014, 1).
Question 18
Hearing augmentation should be installed in a conference room when judicatory purposes are expedient and when the floor area of the meeting or conference room exceeds 100m2 (Hollis, 2013, 17).
Question 19
According to Williams (1995, 205-7), fire hydrants need to be installed in a shopping centre at all times, the absence or presence of water mains notwithstanding. These fire hydrants should not be spaced more than 500 feet apart.
Question 19
Fire hose reels are required to be installed in shopping centres at all times and should be adequately marked (ABCB, 2014, 1).
Question 20
The maximum number of people to be provided with exits in a dance studio having a floor area of 500m2 is 44 persons (Uyeda, 2010, 11).
References
ABCB, 2014, About the National Construction Code, Retrieved on 25 October, 2014; from: http://www.abcb.gov.au/en/about-the-national-construction-code.aspx
ABCB, 2014, The Building Code of Australia, Retrieved on 25 October, 2014; from: http://www.abcb.gov.au/about-the-national-construction-code/the-building-code-of-australia
BCA, 2014, Existing Building Legislation, Retrieved on 25 October, 2014; from: http://www.bca.gov.sg/EnvSusLegislation/Existing_Building_Legislation.html
Hollis, Murray, 2013, Practical Straw Bale Building, Landlinks Press, Oxford
Meacham, Brian J., 2010, “Risk‐informed performance‐based approach to building regulation,” Journal of Risk Research, 13 (7), pp. 877 – 893.
Uyeda, Carolyn, 2010, Australian Master Environmental Guide, Longman Publishing, Canberra
Williams, Paul, 1995, “A regulation evaluation system: a decision support system for the Building Code of Australia,” Construction Management and Economics, 13 (3), pp. 197 – 208.
