Basis of NZBC 3.8 and 15m distnace to boundar

Geoff Merryweather made this Official Information request to Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

The request was partially successful.

From: Geoff Merryweather

Dear Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment,

I am looking for the correspondence and information supporting the development of Building Code clause NZBC 3.8, where unsprinklered warehouse buildings closer than 15m to the boundary (and greater than 5000sqm or 20TJ in energy) need to have a layer height greater than 2m at the Fire Service arrival time. In particular I am looking at the distance to boundary separation.
How was the 15m value arrived at?
What is the intended purpose of it? If it is intended to facilitate operations in the building such as search and rescue, the distance from the boundary is not relevant.
What is the supporting evidence for this value vs a greater or lesser value?
Is it based on the fire spread to other property and in which case what are the assumptions behind it (e.g. fire size, flame height)

Yours faithfully,

Geoff Merryweather

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From: *OIA
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

 

Ref: 1718-0747

 

Dear Mr Merryweather

 

On behalf of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment I
acknowledge your email of 29 November 2017 requesting under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following:

 

·        I am looking for the correspondence and information supporting
the development of Building Code clause NZBC 3.8, where unsprinklered
warehouse buildings closer than 15m to the boundary (and greater than
5000sqm or 20TJ in energy) need to have a layer height greater than 2m at
the Fire Service arrival time. In particular I am looking at the distance
to boundary separation.

·        How was the 15m value arrived at?

·        What is the intended purpose of it? If it is intended to
facilitate operations in the building such as search and rescue, the
distance from the boundary is not relevant.

·        What is the supporting evidence for this value vs a greater or
lesser value?

·        Is it based on the fire spread to other property and in which
case what are the assumptions behind it (e.g. fire size, flame height)

 

Please note that the days from 27 December 2017 to 15 January 2018
(inclusive) are defined as non- working days in the Act and are not
counted in the calculation for the response due date. This will affect the
time period for responding to your request.

 

Your request is being processed in accordance with the Act and a response
will be sent to you in due course. If you have any enquiries regarding
your request feel free to contact us via email [MBIE request email] or using
the contact details below.

 

 

Yours sincerely,

Alan Witcombe

MANAGER, MINISTERIAL SERVICES

 

Corporate, Governance and Information

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

Level 4, 15 Stout Street, PO Box 1473, Wellington 6140

 

 

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From: *OIA
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment


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Dear Mr Merryweather

 

Please find attached the response to your recent OIA request.

 

 

Regards

Ministerial Adviser

 

Engagement, Communications and Ministerial Services

Corporate, Governance and Information

 

 

 

[1]www.govt.nz - your guide to finding and using New Zealand government
services

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