When the building code of Australia develops building solutions, you can have two types of solutions, a deemed to satisfy solution is actually specified in the building code and the tests that are to be conducted and the results that are to be achieved are written into the building code. You can also have alternative solutions where the person who wants to use a product produces a set of data and supporting evidence to suggest even although that product may not meet the Deemed to satisfy requirements in the code, they may be able to use it in a particular application.

State and territories are able to modify certain parts of the BCA to meet their particular requirements, and those modifications apply only in those states.

To meet the deemed to satisfy requirements the tests must be that which is specified within the building code and if that has been done overseas then yes, that is acceptable. However, with the other alternative way of specifying a product you can use any test providing you can satisfy the regulator that the product is acceptable.

Class 1 Buildings are not effected. The changes to the BCA only relate to class 2 to 9 buildings.

Specification E1.5 is the specification related to fire sprinkler systems used in buildings and it effects whether you need a smoke result or not when you conduct the test.

The specification C1.10A of the building code relates to wall and ceiling linings, part 2 of that specification specifically and it sets the material group number that a product must meet, where 1 is the best and 3 is the worst that’s acceptable under the code.

With floors, the building code uses the critical heat flux value. It sets values in a range of 1 to 11 where for the most stringent applications the critical heat flux must be greater 4.5, and then there are various other requirements depending on the class of building.

For wall and ceiling linings the requirements are a group 1 or a group 2 material. For floor and floor coverings the requirements for a critical heat flux are for 2.2 or more.

BCA specification C1.10A is not intended to apply to curtains and drapes. The scope of specification C1.10A covers floor materials and floor coverings, and wall and ceiling linings. A curtain or drape is not considered to be a wall lining and is therefore outside the scope of the specification.

If the refurbishment involves a building permit there is a good possibility that it will have to meet the requirements of the building code. That should be discussed with the building certifier at the time of specification.

Many of the states and territories have rules, which are specific to this question. It should be discussed with the local building regulators, to see whether there are exemptions for changes in code within the building regulations in the particular state in which you are operating.

A product does not have to have a smoke value which complies to the BCA if it is being used in a sprinklered area, so if the product is being used where there are sprinklers that comply with specification E1.5, you do not have to have a complying smoke value.

The responsibility rests with the person who applied for the building permit for the particular building. The person would normally get a complying report from the manufacturer or supplier of the product.

The building certifier can compel the person to remove that product and replace it with a compliant product.

It’s not possible to directly translate from ‘Martindale’ to ‘Wyzenbeek’. The Australian standard 2687 which is the Upholstery Performance Standard sets values for both of them for a given class of textile fabric. The Standard Specification says that you can conduct both the ‘Martindale’ and the ‘Wyzenbeek’ test, and then take the value, which gives the best classification of the fabric for that particular fabric.