FIRE LEGISLATION | AUSTRALIAN BUILDING CODES The aftermath of a cladding fire at the Lacrosse building in Melbourne, Australia PRESSURE POINT The Grenfell Tower fire was a wake-up call for the construction industry not just in the UK, but around the world. CIBSE South Australia chair David Robinson looks at his countrys building fire safety legislation around pressurisation, smoke detection and hot smoke testing T he lessons to be learned from Grenfell Tower do not just apply to the UK. Australia has experienced fires in highrise buildings, including a cladding blaze at the Lacrosse building in Melbourne that prompted an update to building codes. Australia is divided into states and territories which are identified as New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia, all governed by their own individual legislative acts/regulations; but having the benefit of a uniform Building Code of Australia (BCA) that is mandated through each legislative process. Ventilation system The ventilation system specified for Grenfell Tower would not be permitted under the BCA because the mechanical ventilation set-up was an exhaust system to ventilate a fire-floor lobby. In Australia, there are traditionally two smoke-control methods zone pressurisation and stair/lift-shaft pressurisation which can vary according to the occupancy use of the building. 28 December 2018 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Dec18 pp28-30 Smoke Control v2.indd 28 23/11/2018 17:41