Architecture, engineering and construction industry stakeholders are invited to access a new design guide for mid-rise timber buildings, released in response to recent changes to the National Construction Code (NCC). Source: Architecture & Design
Made effective from 1 May this year, the NCC changes enable construction of timber buildings up to eight storeys without the need for expensive ‘alternative solutions’ to gain approval.
The new code creates a voluntary prescriptive performance (previously known as a deemed-to-satisfy solution) for the use of timber building systems in Class 2 (apartments), Class 3 (hotels) and Class 5 (office) buildings up to 25 metres in effective height.
Covering both traditional timber framing and innovative massive timber systems such as cross laminated timber (CLT) and Glulam, the new solution requires use of appropriate layers of fire resistant materials and sprinkler systems.
The new design guide by Wood Solutions provides comprehensive, easy to use advice on meeting the requirements of the NCC.
“Designing and constructing … buildings in timber will be unfamiliar to some of the professionals involved,” Eileen Newbury from Forest and Wood Products Australia said.
“And this is the first of a series of guides we will be publishing to assist them [in] understand[ing] the Performance Requirements, the available design options and to make the transition to using the new timber systems as efficiently as possible.”
