Bushfires are sadly a regular occurrence in Australia – with Eastern Australia being one of the most fire-prone regions in the world. Extremely high temperatures, low humidity, intense winds and dry vegetation are the ideal conditions for the rapid spread of bushfires.
Black Friday in 1939, Ash Wednesday in 1983, Black Saturday in 2009 were just some of the deadliest blazes that affected Australia families, their homes, and the animal life around them. The most recent bushfires in 2019/2020 led to the unfortunate deaths of at least 33 people, over 3 billion animals as well as the destruction of approx. 3,000 homes.
If you live or are looking to build in a bushfire prone area, designing and constructing your home to withstand bushfires is critical. New and improved building materials as well as new building standards can significantly reduce the amount of devastating damage and the final clean-up bill.
New standards using highly durable building materials enables your home to be more fire-resistant while still allowing it to be aesthetically pleasing and highly functional. The standard ensures that the construction methods are easy to follow, and the materials are affordable – making your home both cost-effective and high performing against a fire.
THE STANDARDS
The NASH (National Association of Steel-Framed Housing) Standard Steel Framed Construction in Bushfire Areas is one of the standards that can be applied when building in designated bushfire areas. Within this standard there are two solutions, one for covering lower Bushfire Attack Levels (BALs) from BAL 12.5 – BAL 40, and the other covering Flame Zone (BAL-FZ). This standard focusses on non-combustible construction that utilises steel wall frames and trusses as well as non-combustible cladding.
Ken Watson, Executive Director of NASH, says “No home can be completely fire safe but there are a number of ways you can plan for a house to have a high fire-resistance. (For one) Your choice if building materials is very important. The right materials can significantly delay, minimise or prevent damage to your house. Should damage occur, the materials of construction could mean the difference between repairing your home or having to rebuild it completely.”
Working closely with the CSIRO and other independent organisations, NASH put their solution standards to the test by simulating realistic bushfire conditions against a home constructed using fire-resistant building materials. In April 2010, a test was done which provided significant insights and has since informed the NASH standards.
WHY USE STEEL FRAMES IN BUSHFIRE PRONE AREAS
Decades of Durable:
Able to withstand the extremes, a steel framed home is strong and highly resilient. This strength ensures your buildings structure is not compromised and stays as is for years to come – no matter what the weather or the conditions.
Non-Combustible:
Steel will not ignite or burn. It does not release harmful smoke or carbon dioxide and will not help spread or contribute to a fire. Steel frames and trusses are non-combustible making them resistant to fires and a key building material that can be used in bushfire prone areas.
High melting point:
With an ignition point of between 280-350℃, timber stands no chance in a fire, particularly a bushfire where temperatures reach over 1000℃. Steel can withstand the scorching heat of a bushfire as it has a high melting point of 1370℃.
Cost-Effective:
Steel frames are affordable and a great alternative to timber. They are custom made to your exact specification meaning there is less material waste, every panel is manufactured straight so there is no preparing, packing, or planning needed, nor is there any need to straighten or re-straighten walls. Their strength also means they have little long-term maintenance needs reducing your ongoing maintenance costs.
Resistant to biological attacks:
Steel is resistant to attacks from termites and borers because they cannot eat steel. Steel doesn’t rot like timber can and is resistant to mould spores and fungi attacks. This ensures your structure stays strong for its lifetime.
BUILD RIGHT AND BE BUSHFIRE SAFE
Understand the impacts of bushfires to your home and be sure to choose the right materials to make your home fire-resistant. Metframe Australia steel frames and trusses are a key building material that can make your home fire resistant.
Contact our team at Metframe Australia for a quote today and be fire safe.
Resources:
– NASH – Fact File 1 – Fire
– CSIRO – Raising the standard for bushfire proofing houses
– CSIRO Image – The steel framed house after the flame test at Mogo
– Steel.org.au – Steel Framing: Perfect in bushfire prone areas
– Wikipedia – Bushfires in Australia
Using the right building materials can significantly delay, minimise, or even prevent major damage to your home. These materials determine the impact of the damage to your home, your belongings and therefore the clean-up bill.
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