The use of combustible cladding materials on building exteriors poses severe fire safety risks, and this was catastrophically illustrated by, for example, the 2017 London Grenfell Tower fire. Investigation into this incident confirmed that the presence of combustible cladding materials drove ignition and the extremely rapid spread of the fire.
Australia now legislates against the use of combustible cladding, and it is legally required that new buildings use Deemed-to-Satisfy (DtS) non-combustible cladding materials.
Key Points
· Combustible cladding has been used on thousands of Australian buildings, having become extremely popular twenty to thirty years ago. Today, we better understand how problematic this material’s use can be in terms of fire safety.
· Australia’s cladding regulations have changed significantly over the last ten years, particularly as a result of several high-rise fire incidents which were directly linked to the use of combustible cladding materials.
· Today, all new Australian buildings that have exterior cladding must, by law, use deemed-to-satisfy (DtS) non-combustible cladding materials. It is also strongly encouraged that existing buildings with combustible cladding undergo remediation projects to replace unsafe cladding materials.
In the aftermath of several high-rise fire incidents in Australia and overseas, Australian buildings underwent a comprehensive audit. This analysis identified thousands of buildings across Australia that have been clad using combustible cladding materials. These are highly flammable and extremely dangerous in the presence of extreme heat or flames.
In response to these findings, Australia’s building standards and regulations in terms of fire safety have been completely overhauled, and architects, designers, builders, and building owners now have distinct legal obligations in terms of cladding materials used and their installation.
Australia’s Current Cladding Standards - Your Obligations
The updated National Construction Code (NCC) 2019 dictates that building design and construction in Australia must strive to prevent fire spread through a building’s exterior via the use of DtS non-combustible cladding materials. Architects, builders, owners, and other parties involved in the construction of a new building or renovation must ensure that all external wall components comply with the updated regulations.
Combustible cladding materials are now considered non-compliant, and the use of such materials must be avoided in order to maintain safety and prevent penalties, including the potential for fines and/or imprisonment.
External walls on new or newly renovated commercial, industrial, and high-rise residential buildings must use deemed-to-satisfy non-combustible cladding. Not only is this obligation applicable to exterior façade materials, but also to insulation, internal lining, and framing material options.
What is DtS Non-Combustible Cladding?
To be classed as “deemed-to-satisfy non-combustible”, cladding materials must pass the stringent AS 1530.1 fire test, which accepts a total combustible content volume of no greater than 0.5%. Furthermore, if any material component of the cladding burns for more than 5 seconds during 30 minutes of exposure, it automatically fails this test.
What About Bushfire Zones?
These cladding standards do not reduce or override the existing Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) requirements for buildings in areas vulnerable to bushfire. While the majority of existing DtS non-combustible cladding materials already satisfy the strictest BAL-FZ (Flame Zone) standards, anyone building in a bushfire-prone area (including but not limited to rurally or adjacent to suburban bushland) may need to include additional fire-mitigation features to the building, such as ember guards.
Exploring DtS Non-Combustible Cladding Options
There are several compliant options for cladding, and ALPOLIC™ NC/A1 is a world-class, gold-standard deemed-to-satisfy non-combustible aluminium cladding product designed for Australian commercial and industrial applications (including high-rise residential towers). Made from thin aluminium sheets covering a mineral fibre core, it performs exceptionally well, requires no ongoing maintenance, and looks amazing.
This product is 100% recyclable. It has been successfully tested to Euroclass A1 13501-1, which is the world’s strictest fire-rating test. The product comes with a twenty-year full replacement warranty (with no maintenance clauses for cleaning).
Conclusion
Australia’s exterior cladding regulations are more strictly defined than ever before, with a focus on ensuring cladding on external walls for commercial, industrial, and high-rise residential buildings is DtS non-combustible. Compliance is non-negotiable for new builds and renovations, and selecting the right cladding materials guarantees you're meeting your obligations and both legally and structurally protecting yourself, your investment, and its users.