The Facilitators Newsletter.

Keeping you up to date regarding the NHBRC and building regulations that might effect you.

Dear Valued Customer

Welcome to our March Newsletter.

I hope the financial year end was not to traumatic and that you are ready for the next one.

"The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential...these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence."
- Eddie Robinson

NHBRC Building Rules and Regulations: Did you know?

In our February Newsletter we discussed what the Design and Construction Requirements are for the NHBRC. Today we will look at Satisfying the NHBRC Construction Requirements.

2.4. SATISFYING THE NHBRC CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS

Materials
The Home Builder may be called upon to furnish proof that materials comply with the requirements of the Construction Standards or the requirements of the standards specified by the Competent Person or the relevant requirements set out in the Agrement certification documentation.

Tests on materials conducted in accordance with appropriate SABS test methods and specifications, or those laid down by industry-based institutions such as the Cement and Concrete Institute, or the CSIR as appropriate, shall be employed to determine compliance.

The NHBRC may require Home Builders to make samples of materials and components available for testing. If any material or component does not comply with the aforementioned standards and documentation, the NHBRC may serve notice (i.e. a notice of non-compliance) on the Home Builder. This notice will state those aspects of such material or component which do not comply and prohibit such Home Builder from making further use of such material or competent as well as demand that he remove and replace at his own expense any such -materials or components as may have already been built into the relevant building.

The cost of tests undertaken by the NHBRC shall be borne by the Home Builder should such testing demonstrate non-compliance, otherwise such costs shall be borne by the NHBRC.

2.5. SPECIFIC NHBRC REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATIONS AND TERRACING

The Home Builder shall appoint a Competent Person to classify individual sites in accordance with the site class designation as set out in Part 1, Section 2, Table 1 and in accordance with the requirements of the SAICE/ IStructE Code of Practice for Foundations aid Superstructures for Single Story Residential Buildings of Masonry Construction.

The known distribution of expansive and potentially collapsible soils is shown schematically in figure S1.

The Home Builder shall appoint a Competent Person to investigate the necessity of installing subsurface drains on sites:
• designated as being Class P (marshy areas)
• having shallow water tables
• which are terraced to the extent that the depth of cut below original ground level exceeds 0,75m

Where subsurface drains are deemed necessary, such persons shall design and supervise the installation of such drains.

Subsurface drains may not necessarily be required to prevent the passage of water into the interior of units having floor slabs projecting more than 150 mm above finished ground/terraced level. Such drains are normally required to make the site serviceable.

The Home Builder shall appoint a Competent Person to monitor the placement of fills where the fill height exceeds 400 mm or where shallow fills do not meet the requirements of the construction rules

Part 1, Section 2, Table 1: Residential site class designations

TYPICAL FOUNDATION MATERIAL	CHARACTER OF FOUNDING MATERIAL	EXPECTED RANGE OF TOTAL SOIL MOVEMENTS (mm)	ASSUMED DIFFERENTIAL MOVEMENT (% OF TOTAL)	SITE CLASS
Rock (excluding mud rocks which may exhibit swelling to some depth)	STABLE	NEGLIGIBLE	-	R
Fine grained soils with moderate to very high plasticity (clays, silty clays, clayey silts and sandy clays)	EXPANSIVE SOILS	<7,5 7,5-15 15-30 >30	50% 50% 50% 50%	H H1 H2 H3
Silty Sands, sands, sandy and gravely soils	COMPRESSIBLE AND POTENTIALLY COLLAPSABLE SOILS	<5 5-10 >10	75% 75% 75%	C C1 C2
Fine Grained Soils (clayey silts and clayey sands of low plasticity), sands, sandy and gravely soils	COMPRESSIBLE SOILS	<10 10-20 >20	50% 50% 50%	S S1 S2
Contaminated soils, Controlled fill, Dolomitic areas, Landslip, Landfill, Marshy areas, Mine waist fill, mining subsidence, Reclaimed areas, Uncontrolled fill, Very soft silts/silty clays	VARIABLE	VARIABLE		P

Next Month we will look at the Specific requirements relating to foundations for housing units and associated structures of masonry and concrete floor construction + Basements and Semi Basements in split level housing units.

This Months Most Frequently Asked Question

Question (Home Builder \ Home Owner)

A well known brick supplier supplied face bricks that varies in length and width. Is this normal and what does the NHBRC regulations state regarding variable brick sizes?

Answer:

The NHBRC does not have a problem with size of bricks as long as the strength of the bricks are consistent with that of the NHBRC requirements. Bricks vary in size as it depends on materials used and weather conditions. The variation of brick does not affect the quality of the construction.
- NHBRC Conciliations and Inspectors dept.

Please feel free to Ask a Question or visit our Frequently Asked Questions Page.

Notices and News

The Facilitators - Cape has moved offices to a New Location.
8 Merriman Str.
George South
George
6529

We will inform you of our new Land Line number once Telkom installs our new phones. In the mean time please contact the George Office on 082 350 7898.

Thank You for your Continuous Support

I Hope you find our newsletters useful. Please let us know if you have any suggestions if you think we can improve our content to add more value to you as a #id_status#.

Kind Regards

Andrea van Rooyen

The Facilitators
Tel: 086 123 6765
Email: newsletter@the-facilitators.com
Web: www.the-facilitators.com

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