The Australian Building Codes Board have released the Air Tightness Test requirements for the updates Building Regulations in Australia.
In summary, Air Tightness Testing has been added as an optional requirement to demonstrate compliance, rather than the more arduous methods of demonstrating the detailing used throughout the building process.
The NCC now includes:
Dwellings
Volume 2 Section V2.6.2.3
- Compliance with P2.6.1 (f) is verified when a building envelope is sealed at an air permeability of not more than 10 m3/hr.m2 at 50Pa of pressure when tested in accordance with AS/NZS ISO 9972 Method 1
- More for residential house, and an option for verification which isn’t mandatory
- Part 3.12.3 talks about sealing windows and lights to comply.
Non Dwellings
Volume – Section JV4
- Testing as a verification method for section J, the energy efficiency part of the regulations.
- It covers all the climates zones and building types with a different requirement based on the building type and climates zone.
- Mostly for commercial buildings.
- One method to verify the building envelope which isn’t mandatory. The alternative and most likely, 99.9% of the time is ‘deemed to satisfy’ or performance solution method which is a front end compliance before the building is built.
- Permeability of either 5 or 10 depending on what type of the building and what climate zone.
