NCC 2025 webinar series: Access, egress and safe movement

Thanks Adrian. First up is a new concession we've introduced for NCC 2025. This concession applies to volume one and the housing provisions. The best way to describe the concession is to start by asking your question. Does this ramp in front of a bank require a handrail? I know there's a lot of things wrong with it. It's an older building, so it might predate current requirements. But does it need a handrail? I'm sure most of you are thinking, of course not. The ramp is so small that you don't need a handrail to use it. But what does the NCC say? Here's D3 D22. It asks for handrails to ramps in subclause 1A. And although it's a small ramp, it's still a ramp. So, strictly speaking, it could be said that this simple ramp requires a handrail. It was never intended that small ramps like step ramps, threshold ramps, and curb ramps would need handrails. So, we've clarified this for NCC 2025. Eagle-eyed viewers will have noticed something else new in this slide. It's to do with the terms step ramp, threshold ramp, and curb ramp. To achieve clarity for these concessions, we've introduced defined terms for these three types of ramp. We've used these terms in the NCC for many years now, but haven't defined them until NCC 2025. And here they are. Curb ramp, a ramp at the curb. Step ramp, a ramp that isn't a curb ramp that's not taller than 190 mm, the maximum height of a standard riser. And threshold ramp, a ramp that's within or at the threshold. Typically, these are very small ramps. In AS 1428.1, the standard for access for people with a disability, a threshold ramp can't be taller than 35 mm. Some of you might be wondering, why we use the definitions in AS 1428 Part 1? Good question. The reason that we didn't use those definitions is because they're too detailed. You see, definitions in the NCC or standard aren't just a dictionary. Very often, definitions contain requirements. And AS 1428 Part 1 regulates the dimensions of these ramps through the definition itself. For example, a step ramp per the definition of AS 1428 Part 1 can't be steeper than 1 in 10. That's not a dictionary entry, that's a rule. You see, if you put a step ramp in your house or your loading dock, it can be 1 in 8. So, we've kept our definitions more high-level or dictionary style because if we used the definition in AS 1428 Part 1, we would suddenly stop allowing 1 in 8 ramps where they are validly installed. The NCC asks for landings and slip resistance for ramps and usually also for handrails. This table shows where we've introduced concessions to clarify that small ramps are exempt. Notice that we've kept slip resistance for curb ramps and step ramps. That's because these ramps are significant enough to require slip resistance. And keep in mind that there are multiple provisions that apply to ramps. So, even if one of these provisions contain a concession, it could be the case that another provision requires the feature. For example, that ramp I showed on the other slide, even though it's at a threshold, it's part of an accessway, so Part D4 requires a slip-resistant finish. Next change in the NCC is a new provision, D3 D31, requiring wayfinding signage in buildings. Predominantly for emergency agencies like the fire brigade. But most of these signs can also be useful for occupants using exits. Because this is new, D3 D31 comes with a new performance requirement, D1 P10, which requires signage to assist egress and emergency service activities. D3 D31 requires stairway identification signs, floor level identification signs, and sole unit or SAU indicator signs. The requirement for these signs kicks in when you have an effective height of 12 m or more or more than three stories below ground. In these buildings, stairway identification signs are needed. These are installed on the outside of required exit stairways. And if the stairway doesn't serve all the levels in the building, the signs also need to indicate what levels the stairs serves. This is useful information for fire brigades. For example, stairway here isn't useful if they are attending a fire in the basement. Next are the floor level identification signs. These are required both inside the exit stairway and outside the exit stairway where you leave the stairway. These signs need to identify what level you're on. And if the building is class two or class three, like an apartment building or a motel, then sole occupancy unit indicator signs are needed. These are placed below the level signs and show the direction to the sole occupancy units on that floor. Again, useful for emergency personnel if they are in a hurry to get to a particular unit. This next change is in D2 D8, width of exits. To explain the change, I'll start with this hypothetical floor plate. Let's say this single story building has an occupancy of 350 people. Anything over 100 occupants, you have to start thinking about D2D8 exit widths. So, let's do that now. For occupancies over 200, D2D8 sub clause 3 gives you 2 m for your first 200 occupants. And as long as there's no change in floor level, you then need another 500 mm for every 75 occupants. So, in this case, we need another meter for the remaining 150 occupants. That's a required exit width of 3 m total. When it comes to the exit doorways, D2D9 lets us discount each doorway 250 mm. So, three 750 mm wide exit doors meets our needs for this story. But, what happens when we put in a wall with an FRL and these horizontal exits? The occupancy of the story is still 350. But, let's put 75 people in compartment A and 275 people in compartment B. Do we still have enough exits? At a glance, it looks like B is a bit light. There's only two exits, which is only enough for 200 people. But, it's okay under the current NCC. Because D2D8 only applies to a story, a mezzanine, or an open spectator stand. Nothing about fire compartments. So, that's changed for NCC 2025. We've added the new text down here. So, B now needs 2.5 m of exits. Easily met by an additional exit door. I'm sure many have been designing this way anyway. It's good practice. But, for NCC 2025, it becomes mandatory. This next change is in D3D16 thresholds. This is the provision that says you know, allowed to have a step or ramp within a door width of the threshold. Except for many years it's had these four concessions. Firstly, patient care areas for class 9A buildings. You can have a 25 mm step or ramp. Secondly, class 9C residential care buildings. You can have a 25 mm ramp in the resident use areas. Like this one pictured here. Thirdly, external doors to road or open space. We need to provide access for people with a disability. You can ramp these in accordance with AS 1428 part one, so long as that standard doesn't require a landing for the door. And fourthly, all other external doors. So, where you don't need to provide access for people with a disability, you can have a step of up to 190 mm. There is a fifth category not listed in D3D16. D3D2 application of part means that that this clause doesn't apply within sole occupancy units of class two and three buildings, and in class four parts of buildings. Now, I've often wondered about these first two. Because in an office building where most occupants are able-bodied, there's nothing in D3D16 that says you can have a step or ramp at the threshold. So, why is it in the patient care areas and resident use areas where most occupants are vulnerable, why is it you can have a whole 25 mm? Regardless of why the NCC has permitted it in the past, these are removed for NCC 2025. Making level thresholds necessary for these areas. A new concession has been introduced for plant rooms and similar areas. This makes sense because these areas are infrequently occupied, space is normally tight, and a step is useful in case equipment leaks. We've taken the opportunity to make the provision read better also. So, look out for these improvements in NCC 2025. And also, look out for thresholds like this one. Most fire isolated exits I've been in, there's a door handle on the inside allowing you to get back onto the floor you've just left. For example, this photo is of a building that the ABCB office was once in. It has re-entry from the fire stair to each office level. So, people often use the stairs instead of the lift. But for a lot of buildings, it doesn't have to be this way. For a lot of buildings, there doesn't have to be a handle to re-enter the floor you just left. The NCC currently doesn't prevent blocking re-entry from fire isolated exits except in class 9A healthcare buildings, early childhood centers, class 9C residential care buildings, and exits serving stories above an effective height of 25 m. Only, it's still possible to lock these off so long as the doors automatically unlock in fire mode, and a system of re-entry is provided on every fourth story. That's the unlocked door or the intercom system. This provision exists partly because of evacuation needs. In the large buildings greater than 25 m, there may be a need to transfer from stair to stair, which would be difficult if the exit you're in doesn't allow re-entry. And for the class nines listed, these are situations where assisted evacuation occurs, which is difficult without re-entry. This provision also exists for if people accidentally enter a fire isolated exit. It's an inconvenience to travel the entire exit to get out, but there's also some building users who would struggle to find their way out. So, we've made the list longer. These are the situations where NCC 2025 requires re-entry from fire isolated exits. You still have everything we already have, but because now all class nines are included, schools and other assembly buildings. That's simply listed as class nine. What's added now are class two buildings, so apartment buildings. Class three, like hotels, class six, shopping centers, of course, and class seven eight car parks. You can still prevent re-entry for all or some of these doors, so long as re-entry is provided in the same way as it is now, by leaving some unboxed or by intercom. Next is a change in the housing provisions. For a long time, NCC volume two had a concession for stairs serving non-habitable rooms, like attics and store rooms. That concession said for these rooms, you don't have to build normal stairs. Instead, you could build stairs to AS 1657, which is a standard for stairways, ladders, and the like for inspection and maintenance personnel. Stairs built to AS 1657 won't necessarily comply with regular stair provisions because they can be steeper and their balustrades can have larger gaps. This was reviewed in 2015 and that review saw opportunity to bring specifications into the NCC itself, rather than send users to another standard. So, we did. And NCC 2016 had provisions like this that allow a steeper stair and for larger gaps in barriers for stairways serving non-habitable rooms. Good move, we thought. This meant that builders didn't have to buy AS 1657 if they were building a stair for an attic. However, we found out that the old concession that referenced AS 1657 was being used for access ladders for class 10b structures, like radio masts and communication towers. And without a concession in the code, these structures would need normal stairs or a performance solution. It made sense for these sorts of structures to have stairways and ladders in accordance with AS1657. That's what the standard was designed for. So, we made some changes for NCC 2025. This new provision allows class 10b structures to use AS1657. All the normal stair provisions if you want. We've also changed the barrier and handrail clauses so that you can use AS1657 for these also. We think this works better than the original concession which only mentioned stairways. This new provision now mentions ladders, platforms, and walkways also. So, more clearly applies to radio masts and things like that. These are the main changes to access, egress, and safe movement. If you have any questions, please stay for the question and answer session.