Building safe homes in bushfire prone areas
Australia is affected by more than 50,
bushfire events every year. As a significant
proportion of Australians live immediately
adjacent, or very close to, bushfire prone areas,
it is critical for designers and specifiers to
understand how to construct homes that can
withstand bushfire damage.Understanding Bushfire Attack Level
(BAL) Ratings
The risk of bushfire in different environments
is measured in terms of Bushfire Attack Level
(BAL). Under AS 3959-2009 Construction of
buildings in bushfire-prone areas, the BAL
rating system is divided into six levels ranging
from BAL-LOW (very low risk of exposure
to fire, ember, or radiant heat) to BAL-FZ
(extreme risk with direct exposure to fire,
ember, or radiant heat).Aluminium: A Fire-Resistant Solution
When designing for bushfire prone areas,
designers should consider non-combustible,fire-resistant building materials such as
aluminium. Solid aluminium has a high melting
point and high thermal conductivity allowing it
resist fire for extended periods and making it
less prone to ‘hot spots’ where concentrated
damage can occur.Compliance
According to AS 3959-2009, all cladding and
roofing systems used in BAL zones must be
tested in accordance with AS 1530.8.2-
Methods for fire tests on building materials,
components and structures. This Standard
covers the testing of building elements
exposed to simulated bushfire attack.
To ensure compliance with the relevant
Australian Standards when designing for
buildings in bushfire prone areas, the following
steps should be taken:- Consult the relevant State or Territory bushfire
map to determine whether the development
site is in a bushfire prone area. If so, any
building work will require a BAL assessment.
2. Once the BAL rating is determined, the next
step is to look for cladding solutions that
correspond with the given rating.
In Australia, a new generation of aluminium
cladding products have demonstrated
compliance with all AS1530.8.82-
requirements and are suitable for use in
environments rated up to BAL-40.
Wintec Systems
Since 1997, Wintec Systems has led the
Australian market in high performance
aluminium products that deliver function,
style and innovation. All Wintec products are
designed, tested and manufactured in Australia
and comply with the relevant Australian
Standards. This includes Ulltraclad, a fully-
integrated aluminium weatherboard solution
for use as a complete external cladding system
for residential and light commercial buildings.DoWnLoAD FRee WhitepApeR
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