BCA Section J 2013

BCA Section J 2013 Changes

May 1, 2013 | Green Rate

There are a number of small changes to BCA Section J in 2013 that building designers should be made aware of. Most notably is the inclusion of all commercial buildings, whether they contain a conditioned space or not. There is no longer an exemption for Class 7, 8 and 9b buildings with no conditioned space. Atriums and solariums are also no longer exempt from Section J.

This means that all non-residential buildings will require a BCA Section J report in order to obtain a building permit or Construction Certificate (CC). Non-conditioned buildings or spaces will not generally require insulation or special energy efficient types of glazing, however they must still be assessed under relevant parts of Section J such as J6: Artificial Lighting.

There has also been a change to the way in which minimum insulation requirements are calculated for internal walls which separate a conditioned space (such as an office) from a non-conditioned space (such as a warehouse). The extent of clear sheeting or skylights in a non-conditioned part of a building will now affect the level of insulation required for the internal walls adjoining the conditioned space. As in the previous edition of the BCA, the R-Value of insulation required to internal walls is also dependent on the climate zone in which the building is located and considerations of external glazing and mechanical ventilation.

Finally, amendments to the state based appendices bring Tasmania forward to the current BCA 2013 for Section J (previously Section J from BCA 2009 was applicable). This means significant changes for commercial buildings in Tasmania, and as such we recommend that you contact us for advice to ensure a smooth transition to the new code.