Architecture & Design – July-September 2019

Across Australia, trends suggest a growing

number of older structures are being classed

as ‘heritage items’ and redevelopment

and restoration projects are on the rise.

The preservation requirements of heritage

buildings pose a challenge for design and

construction professionals.

Given today’s compliance-oriented industry,

practitioners must ensure that heritage-listed

buildings comply with the relevant performance

standards under the National Construction

Code (NCC) without compromising their

heritage value. Fire protection and structural

performance are especially critical.

The Importance of Fire Protection

The Grenfell and Lacrosse tower fires

highlighted the risks posed by inadequate

fire protection, specifically the potential for

loss of life, property damage and significant

economic harm.

Many historically-significant buildings

cannot be brought into full compliance with

the current Australian fire safety requirements

without damaging significant building

elements. The main problems associated

with meeting fire safety requirements in

historic buildings include:

•   meeting dimensional requirements;

•   space constraints;

•   aesthetic intrusions; and

•   the materials used.

Older buildings may also require relatively rare

types of materials and labour, which can be more

costly. Buildings with structural steel systems will

also require additional fire protection.

Understanding the Requirements

The National Construction Code

Australian heritage buildings must comply with

the fire protection requirements set out in the

NCC. Section C – Fire Resistance of the NCC

requires that all loadbearing building elements,

including structural steel members, have

adequate fire protection.

In relation to complying with NCC

Performance Requirements, the unique

historical elements in heritage buildings

make it difficult to follow the Deemed-to-

Satisfy (DTS) Provisions so individualised

Performance Solutions are typically required.

Australian Standards

The relevant Australian Standards that

apply to fire protection systems in heritage

buildings include:

•   AS 1530.4-2005 – Methods for fire tests

on building materials, components and

structures – Fire-resistance test of elements

of construction, which sets out the general fire

performance requirements of major building

elements and the full-scale fire test conditions

required to ascertain fire performance; and

•   Section 12 of AS 4100-1998 Steel

Structures, which sets out the general design

requirements pertaining to fire protection for

steel structures.

Intumescent Fire Protection Systems:

A High Performance Solution

Fire events fall into one of two categories:

cellulosic fire or hydrocarbon fire. Cellulosic fires

are fuelled by cellulose materials such as timber,

fabrics or paper, which are commonly found in

commercial and residential buildings. These fires

spread gradually, reaching approximately 500ºC

within five minutes with a peak temperature

of 1100ºC. Fueled by combustible liquids,

hydrocarbon fires burn more rapidly and at

higher temperatures than cellulosic fires.

Intumescent fire protection systems and

coatings are passive protection methods which

protect against cellulosic fires. These coatings

are applied to structural members and, when

exposed to high temperatures, form a protective

‘char’ that thermally insulates and protects the

substrate from flames. Structural steel systems

require intumescent fire protection to preserve

the stability of a building in the event of a fire.

Intumescent fire protection systems are ideal

for heritage projects for the following reasons:

•   its thin coating will not damage substrate or

add additional bulk;

•   easy application results in reduced time and

labor costs; and

•   the wide variety of architectural finishes.

Permax

Permax has led the Australian market in high

performance and compliant fire protection

systems. Favoured by builders, engineers and

architects alike, this Australian company offers a

carefully curated range of fire protection solutions.

This includes Nullifire, an internationally-

recognised passive fire protection solution that

is synonymous with the best structural steel fire

protection coatings technologies available today.

DownloAD THe wHITePAPeR

bit.ly/Permax_19Q3

Making the old new again: Achieving

fire performance in heritage projects

promotion feature

perMAx.coM.Au /

A&D x PeRmAx

/ jul-sep 2019

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