PART C Chapter 1 Contents

Overview 1.1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter provides an overview of the building 1.2 DESIGN AND DETAILING PROCESS
design and detailing process, using Part B (Design) and
Part C (Detailing).

PART C:CHAPTER 1
Overview ����
 1.1 INTRODUCTION
With the increasing complexity of Australian 1.1.1 BUILDING REGULATIONS 1.1.2 AUSTRALIAN STANDARDS 1.1.3 DESIGN AIDS
Standards and Building Regulations,
It is the responsibility of the State Australian Standards cover a wide number While the Building Regulations (based
designers, builders and tradespeople are
Governments to of applications, including providing design on the BCA) provide the performance
either being swamped with too much
■ determine the local policies in regards rules for the structural design of masonry requirements and the Australian Standards
unnecessary information or being denied
health, amenity and safety, and masonry components. For example, provide a comprehensive means of
the important information necessary for
AS 3700 Masonry structures is “deemed- satisfying those requirements, there is
building. ■ to enact building legislation, and
to-satisfy” the performance requirements a need for simple, practical details and
Competitive design fees are generally too ■ prepare associated building regulations. set out in the BCA. The design rules of specifications that can be used quickly
low to permit the time for thoughtful and The building acts and building regulations an Australian Standard (including AS and easily by designers to transfer generic
comprehensive detailing and specification of each state are prepared by state BCCs 3700) must be comprehensive, covering information into project documentation.
to be performed. Too often architects and (Building Control Commissions) using a all common construction cases, eg Such design aids may include manuals
structural engineers provide only the overall model, the BCA (Building Code of Australia), unreinforced and reinforced brickwork or technical notes, generic details and
building dimensions of a building and its prepared by the ABCB (Australian Building and blockwork, in all sorts of exposures, specifications, design software and other
components on the contract drawings, Codes Board). Historically, state BCCs have subject to permanent, imposed, wind software. They may be available as hard copy
omitting the details of how the various been effective in health and amenity issues, and earthquake loads. Despite a desire manuals or technical notes, on disk or on the
components are intended to “fit together”. but have lacked the requisite experience to to make Australian Standards “user- internet.
These drawings are often accompanied by tackle structural safety issues effectively. For friendly”, the requirement that they be
It is most important that these documents
the briefest of specifications, indicating only example, the concepts of “return period”, both comprehensive and precise mitigates
comply fully with the requirements of the
the principal Australian Standards, but failing “probability of failure”, “limit states” and against simplicity of use.
Building Regulations and the Australian
to specify even the simplest of material “reliability index”, have not generally been Standards. It there are any deviations or
property requirements. within the expertise of state policy makers. controversial interpretations, they must be
At the other end of the building process, Thus structural safety issues have devolved highlighted, together with the reasons and
builders and tradespeople, accustomed to Australian Standards. However, recent circumstances.
to meaningless or impractical detailing trends indicate that this tendency is being
reversed. The origin and application of the design aids
expectations, simply ignore any details
must also be transparent.
or specification that are provided in the The Building Acts and Building Regulations
contract documents. are legal documents, and must meet
Thus it is timely for the publication of “legalistic” requirements. Although there
simple-to-read manuals accompanied by have been attempts at writing “user-
builder-friendly details. friendly” regulations, they are not able to
comprehensively cover the diverse range of
products and practices in use in Australia.
For example, BCA Volume 2 for domestic
houses provides many “deemed-to-satisfy”
construction details that fulfil the purpose
of the regulations, but there are many other
products and practices that are not covered.

PART C:CHAPTER 1
Overview ����
1.1.4 PROJECT DOCUMENTATION 1.1.5 RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN
BUILDING REGULATIONS,
The principal method for communicating
AUSTRALIAN STANDARDS,
information from a designer to a builder
DESIGN AIDS AND PROJECT
is via contract drawings and specifications
DOCUMENTATION
which should set out the overall
dimensions and material of the structure, In general, the relationships may be
together with details showing how the summarised as follows.
various components fit together, detailed ■ Building Regulations spell out the
specifications and quality control check lists building performance requirements in a
for critical elements. general form.
■ Australian Standards provide design rules,
capable of satisfying the performance
requirements for the Building Regulations.
■ Design and detailing aids translate the
design rules of the Australian Standards
into practical generic designs, details and
specifications.
■ Project drawings, details and
specifications (should) provide the
information necessary for all aspects
of the construction, and may draw on
the generic design and detailing aids to
provide information in an “easy-to-use”
format.

PART C:CHAPTER 1
Overview ����
 1.2 DESIGN AND DETAILING PROCESS
Set out below are the design and detailing Step 2 – Acoustics Step 7 – Movement
steps for the masonry components of typical Select the thickness of walls for acoustic Detail and specify control and articulation
low and medium rise buildings. considerations using Part B:Chapter 2. joints for building movement using
Part B:Chapter 7 and Part C:Chapter 2 and
Step 1 – Building Arrangement and
Part C:Chapter 3.
Loads
Step 3 - Robustness
Determine the building layout, number
Check the thickness of walls and piers for
of floors and principal dimensions. This
robustness considerations using Step 8 – Durability
manual does not detail the steps required
Part B:Chapter 3. Detail and specify masonry units, mortar,
for determining loads, analysing a structure
reinforcement, grout and other components
for overall stability or designing for strength
for the durability requirements using
and serviceability of the other components,
Step 4 - Fire Part B:Chapter 8 and Part C:Chapter 2 and
although some guidance is given in
Design all walls and piers for fire load using Part C:Chapter 3.
Part B:Chapter 1.
Part B:Chapter 4.
Determine the required function of the
masonry components, eg: Step 9 – Thermal Performance
■ Most masonry components are walls. Are
Step 5 – Vertical Loads If the building is required to have a
there also isolated piers and masonry If the masonry is required to support vertical particular level of thermal performance,
lintels? loads as loadbearing walls or lintels, design design and detail using Part B:Chapter 9
using Part B:Chapter 5 and detail using and detail using Part C:Chapter 3.
■ Are internal and external walls single-
Part C:Chapter 3.
leaf masonry, masonry veneer or cavity
masonry? Are they loadbearing or non-
Step 10 – Footings and Supporting
loadbearing? Can they be reinforced? Step 6 – Horizontal Loads Structures
■ Are walls require to resist out-of-plane Design all walls and piers for out-of-plane Design and detail the supporting structures
wind loads, earthquake loads and/or fire and in-plane wind and earthquake loads using AS 3700 Concrete structures, AS 4100
acting on the wall? using Part B:Chapter 6 and detail using Steel structures, AS 2870 Residential slabs and
■ Are walls require to provide in-plane Part C:Chapter 3. This covers masonry walls footings and similar standards.
shear resistance and load paths for wind with vertical reinforcement, mullions, bond Part B:Chapter 10 gives particular guidance
loads or earthquake loads acting on the beams, shear walls and connections. for masonry and footings in residential
whole building? buildings designed to AS 2870.
■ How are external walls to be weather-
proofed?

PART C:CHAPTER 1
Overview ����