New SANS 10400 impact on industry and professionals

Ron Watermeyer
FSAICE, FIStructE, FICE
Soderlund and Schutte

Background

National Building Regulations

first published in 1988 revised in 1990

last amended 1993 (very minor amendment)

SABS 0400: The application of National Building Regulations (deemed to satisfy provisions) first published in 1988

second edition published in 1990

South Africa regulates currently buildings in 2008 using 1970 / early 1980 thinking ! Has there been no Floppy disk progress in the building (mid 1970s) industry during the last 18 years?

Stiffie disk

Have the regulations been effective? Pretoria shopping mall collapses -1996

CD

Memory stick

-2001

16 October 2008

-2004

Building regulations and the interpretation thereof have not been significantly amended since 1990

Cant use 1980 thinking in 2008!

What has changed? Apartheid system abandoned Local authorities completely restructured NHBRC has come into being Population has doubled

Building control and systems more complex

Innovative and new building systems have been introduced

Societal expectations have also changed

CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS

Section 24 of the Bill of Rights contained in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa states that everyone has the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being.

Our modern habitat i.e. the buildings in which we live, is an integral part our environment and, as such, needs to be safe.

Recent amendments to National Building Regulations

Text cleaned up and updated

Greater clarity and efficacy regarding the performance based regulatory framework

Procedures surrounding appointment of competent persons improved

Transitional measures

New issues addressed:

contaminated land dolomite land

geotechnical site investigations

Amended regulations published in Government Gazette on 30 May 2008 - dont address universal accessibility or environmental sustainability

Amendments to National Building Regulations and SANS 10400

Regulation A2(6)
Where design work has commenced before an amendment in regulation or an amendment to SANS 10400 and an application has not been made an owner may within 6 months notify the local authority accordingly; and continue with the current regulations and version of SANS 10400

provided that the application is made within 12 months of the local authority accepting that work has commenced Note: New regulations are effective from 1 October 2008 Third edition of SANS 10400 still to be published

PERFORMANCE BASED REGULATIONS

Level 1
Level 2 Level 3

GOAL
FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS EVALUATION

By application of Level 4 deemed-to-satisfy design and construction rules

By testing By application of and / or well established assessment engineering principles

By expert opinion and judgment

AZ.4 Complying with the requirements of the National Building Regulations The requirements of the National Building Regulations shall be complied with by: (a) adhering to the requirements of all the prescriptive regulations; and new (b) satisfying all functional regulations by: (i) adopting building solutions that comply with the requirements of the relevant part of SANS 10400; or

(ii) reliably demonstrating, or predicting with certainty, to the satisfaction of the appropriate local authority, that an adopted building solution has an equivalent or superior performance to a solution that complies with the requirements of the relevant part of SANS 10400.

Level 1 Level 2

GOAL

Act NBRs

FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Level 3

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS
EVALUATION

SANS 10400- 3rd edition

By expert opinion and judgment

By application of Level 4 deemed-to-satisfy design and construction rules

SANS 10400- 3rd edition plus SANS 2001

By testing By application of and / or well established assessment engineering principles

Competent person

Note: SABS 0400 focused on deemed-to-satisfy design rules

Competent person
a person who is qualified by virtue of his education, training, experience and contextual knowledge to make a determination regarding the performance of a building or part thereof in relation to a functional regulation

In many jurisdictions, Building Control Officers or Proof Engineers review the work of professionals for compliance with building ordinances or codes e.g. in the UK. A competent persons is encountered where professionals self certify their work for compliance with requirements
A scan of international practice is that the Canada, Scotland, Hong Kong, and USA entry level admission to a profession is insufficient to deem a person competent to perform structural design

Competent person
Amended regulations require competent person to have PI unless an employee of the owner be professionally registered in terms of the Engineering Professions Act, the Architectural Professions Act or the Natural Scientific Professions Act be adequtately qualified and have sufficient contextual experience to perform assigned tasks not be under investigation by a disciplinary tribunal of a statutory council

NBRs look to SANS 10400 to further define a competent person The safety of South Africas buildings hinge on the competence and integrity of those entrusted to self certify compliance with the national building regulations

Applications to local authorities (Regulation A2):

Applications must be accompanied by a declaration by a person registered in terms of a built environment professions council as to how the applicable functional regulations are to be satisfied
Declaration Indicates Complexity of the project (low, medium or high)

Site sensitivity in environmental or heritage terms (low, medium, high)

The precise manner in which each and every applicable functional regulation will be satisfied (rules, competent person, Agrment certification, alternative design)

Lists all appointments of competent persons that are to be made

New structure of SANS 10400

Part
A

Pages Part
General principles 87 and requirements M Stairways

Pages
13

B
C D F G H J K L

Structural design
Dimensions Public safety Site operations Excavations Foundations Floors Walls Roofs

37
13 9 15 12 58 16 95 49

N
O P Q R S T V W

Glazing
Lighting and ventilation Drainage Non-water-born means of sanitary disposal Stormwater disposal Facilities for persons with disabilities Fire protection Space heating Fire installation

18
24 63 20 13 52 89 9 16
Updated

Fundamentally rewritten

Substantial new content

SANS 2001: Construction standards (construction rules) SANS 2001-CG1 Installation of glazing in window and door frames SANS 2001-CC1 Concrete works (structural)

SANS 2001-CC2 Concrete works (minor works) SANS 2001-CM1 Masonry walling SANS 2001-CM2 Strip footings, pad footings and slab-on-the ground foundations for masonry walling SANS 2001-CT1 Structural timberwork (flooring) SANS 2001-CT2 Structural timberwork (roofing) SANS 2001-DP2 Medium Pressure Pipelines SANS 2001-DP6 Below Ground Water Installations for Buildings SANS 2001-DP7 Sewers for Buildings SANS 2001-EM1 Cement plaster

Bracing details
Wall column fixing

Standard details

Shelf anchor details

Two performance levels category 1 building building which a) is designated as being of class A3 (Place of instruction) A4 Worship), F2 (Small shop), G1 (Offices), H2 (Dormitory), H3 (Domestic residence), or H4 (Dwelling house) occupancy b) c) has no basements, has a maximum length of 6,0 m between intersecting walls or members providing lateral support, and has a floor area that does not exceed 80 m

d)

Category 1 buildings may perform differently

Tensions associated with standards development

Owners / developers dont want to pay anything more

standard Academics wish to get things technically correct Practioners want something simple and quick to apply

Impact on industry

Amended NBRs and revised SANS 10400 provide

construction standards and standard details around which curricula, qualifications and training courses may be developed

a more flexible approach which facilitates innovation and the introduction of new technologies

greater certainty regarding the acceptability of products

Impact on owners and users Amended NBRs and revised SANS 10400 provide a more transparent, consistent and equitable approach to the interpretation of NBRS provide safer buildings which are likely to have improved performance in use

provide more affordable basic buildings (category 1 buildings)

require the appointment of a registered person to prepare applications to local authority provide a better idea regarding the profile of competent persons that are appointed and recourse to their professional indemnity insurance provide a more effective recourse against a registered person

Impact on professionals

Amended NBRs and revised SANS 10400

provide a clear framework within which professionals may practice their profession

provides a level playing field

provides construction standards or requires professionals to specify construction requirements

allows professionals to market themselves as competent persons capable of providing specific services

Professionals will need to invest time in becoming familiar with new standards