How are Australian standards linked to the BCA?
The BCA provides a nationally accepted and uniform set of technical requirements for all areas of building, from design to construction.
The BCA seeks to ensure acceptable standards of "health, safety, amenity and sustainability in building". It sets out technical requirements that buliding design professionals need to meet in order to achive these goals.
As a general principle, all those who cite Standards in contractual construction documents should have a basic familiarity with the standards that are being referenced. A little understanding can go a long way to reduce serious future problems.
NOTE: Ensure the steel supplied for the job complies with the BCA. It is a mistake to assume all steel offered in Australia is manufactured to Australian Standards.
Australian Standards also cover other aspects of the trade with specifications for products manufactured from coated steel sheet materials and their installation. These are:
- AS2179 for metal rainwater goods
- AS2180 for selection and installation of metal rainwater goods
- AS1445 for corrugated steel sheet
- AS1562 for design and installation of metal roofing
A building solution will comply with the BCA if it satisfies the Performance Requirements.
Compliance with the performance requirements can only be achieved by:
- Complying with the Deemed-to-satisfy provisions or
-
Formulating an Alternative solution, which
- Complies with the Performance requirements or
- Is shown to be at least equivalent to the Deemed-to-satisfy provisions, or
- A combination of a & b.