An update on technical audits of ongoing building construction

Building and Energy’s Audit Branch carries out technical inspections of ongoing building work to check how building standards are being applied. To date, the majority of inspections have been on class 1a buildings (houses). In addition to the current audit activities, Building and Energy will focus audits and inspections on the following building work:

• wet area waterproofing in all classifications; and
• class 2 (residential buildings containing two or more dwellings).

Building and Energy gathers statistics from the technical inspection activities undertaken. From this data, we can identify areas of building work that require improvement. The following list shows the top 6 areas that require improvement with a brief summary of why they were unsatisfactory:

1. Wet areas waterproofing and external weatherproofing
   Omission of puddle flanges, bond breaker at floor/wall junctions, build thickness of waterproofing membrane, waterstops and flashings, weatherproofing at zero lot walls.
2. Termite management
   Required reticulated systems omitted, placement and installation of physical barriers not in accordance with manufacturers’ specifications.
3. Timber wall framing
   Required bracing omitted or not installed in accordance with 1684.2, connections to all parts of frame, structural member placement not in accordance with engineers design.
4. Bushfire requirements
   A wide range of requirements  for both NASH standard and AS 3959, for example sealing of garage doors, and roofs, gaps exceeding 3mm, roof ventilation openings, inappropriate use of combustible materials.
5. Structural steel
   Placement and fixings/tie downs.
6. Tie-down of timber framed sheet metal clad roofs
   Chain of tie-down continuity, use and installation of metal connectors for example connector orientation and capacity, type of nails used and capacity of nailed connections. 

Please see the related industry bulletins below:

• Industry Bulletin 36 - Weatherproofing of projections through metal roof surfaces
• Industry Bulletin 49 - Connection of roof battens
• Industry Bulletin 61 - Residential wet area floor wastes
• Industry Bulletin 83 - New termite management standards
• Industry Bulletin 93 - Documentation for timber-framed roof construction
• Industry Bulletin 103 - Indicative BAL ratings in bushfire risk assessments
• Industry Bulletin 104 - Bushfire construction details for housing