Flame Zone House Electrical

While we Australians have always taken bushfires very seriously. Recent studies have indicated that bushfires are going to increase in both intensity and frequency in the coming months and years. We recently worked on a new home located in the flame zone which is compliant with the new legislation. We did the electricals for a new flame zone house which is made to rust.

According to the Australian Building Code, there is a massive social and financial cost associated with these blazes. However, their attempts to reduce this impact has mainly been legislative. This includes passing regulations involving building design and materials.

For instance, the new BAL FZ (Bushfire Attack Level Flame Zone) is the most extreme rating applied to construction products. If a company plans to build in an area that requires BAL FZ compliance, they will need to use only the materials designated by the ABC. As one might expect, there are also insurance implications for both builders and homeowners. Should a construction company not comply with the materials list, insurance companies might take a dim view of any insurance claims associated with fire damage.

A BAL is what establishes the requirements for construction. It is designed to increase a building’s ability to resist damage from bushfires.

BAL ratings

According to the Australian Standard AS 3959-2009 Construction of Buildings in Bushfire Prone Areas, all properties will be assessed and given one of six different BAL ratings. These include:

• BAL – Low: Bushfires pose no risk. No construction requirements will be issued.
• BAL – 12.5: The building is potentially susceptible to embers. So outer coverings should be made of non-combustible materials.
• BAL – 19: The building is at an increased risk of “ember attack” and damage from burning debris.
• BAL – 29: The building is at an increased risk of being ignited by windborne embers or being damaged by burning debris / heat flux.
• BAL – 40: Aside from windborne embers and heat flux, there is also an increased likelihood of exposure to flames.
• BAL – FZ: This building is like to suffer direct exposure to flames in addition to heat flux and ember attack.
  

This impressive house is made from Corten Steel which is actually designed to rust. This gives the house a natural feel and the interior is modern and it is bushfire compliant. Jason from Create Plumbing took these images.