Qualifications and experience appropriate in accordance with relevant applicable legislation and professional standards.

Means the granting of a building permit, occupancy permit, certificate of final inspection, certificate, or a form of consent from an Authority Having Jurisdiction.

In accordance with the Building Regulations, the Relevant Building Surveyor cannot determine that a Performance Solution complies with the performance requirements of the BCA unless:

1. The Relevant Building Surveyor holds a Graduate Certificate in Performance Based Building Codes from Victoria University of Technology or a qualification considered (and approved as) equivalent by the Building Practitioners Board of Victoria.

2. Relies on a design compliance certificate pursuant to Section 238 of the Building Act 1993 from a Fire Safety Engineer who did not design the building works.

3. Relies on a design compliance certificate pursuant to Section 238 of the Building Act 1993 from a Registered Building Surveyor who did not design the building works and holds the qualification or equivalent qualification (refer above).

4. Relies on Accreditation of a system or design issued by the Building Regulations Advisory Committee.

5. Relies on a determination of the Building Appeals Board.

6. Relies on a certificate of conformity issued by the Australian Building Codes Board.

7. Relies on a regulation 129 consent from the Chief Officer of the relevant fire brigade.

Design that was approved by the Authority having jurisdiction for the purpose of providing building works or subsequent modification. This design may have been issued at building permit stage or modified during construction. (AS 1851-2012 clause 1.5.2). A design report for building system(s) becomes the approved design once approved by the AHJ.

Available safe egress time: Time available for escape for an individual occupant. This is the calculated time interval between the time of ignition of a fire and the time at which conditions become such that the occupant is estimated to be incapacitated (i.e. unable to take effective action to escape to a place of safety). [ABCB 2013]

The process carried out by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) which may involve the assessing, verifying, reviewing, and/or comparing a fire engineering solution for compliance with the Building Code of Australia (BCA) and adequacy of documentation to demonstrate compliance with the applicable legislation for the purpose of granting approval.

Accredited Testing Laboratory means:

• an organization registered by the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) to test in the relevant field; or

• an organization outside Australia registered by an authority recognized by NATA through a mutual recognition agreement; or

• an organization recognized as being an Accredited Testing Laboratory under legislation at the time the test was undertaken.

The ATL tests a prototype of a fire protection measure and issues a report which:

• describes the method and conditions of the test and the form of construction of the tested prototype in full; and

• certifies that the application of restraint to the prototype complied with the Standard Fire Test.

A report issued by a Registered Testing Authority which:

• describes the method and conditions of the test and the form of construction of the tested prototype in full; and

• certifies that the application of restraint to the prototype complied with the Standard Fire Test. [NCC BCA Vol 1 Spec A 2.3 2(b)]

A regulatory authority that is responsible for administering building controls for a particular project or part thereof. The AHJ is normally the Registered Building Surveyor, Building Certifier or the applicable Local Government Council, however other authorities such as the Fire Brigade, Water, Gas and Electricity Authorities may have jurisdiction over various aspects of the project. Building Law in most States and Territories of Australia has, at least partially, privatized or introduced competition to the traditional local government role of the AHJ.

The Alarm verification facility is defined by AS 1670.1:2018.

Exposure to fire for a time that includes fire growth, full development, and decay in the absence of intervention or automatic suppression, beyond which the fire is no longer a threat to building elements intended to perform loadbearing or fire separation function or both. [ABCB 2013]

Certification is the process of ensuring that a design, design documentation, and evidence of compliance and construction meet the requirements of the Building Code of Australia (BCA) and other relevant legislation in accordance with the applicable laws. Certification is typically undertaken by appropriately qualified Fire Safety Engineers who may or may not have been the designer of the building or fire safety system.

The acceptance of certification, particularly by the designer, is subject to the consideration and acceptance of the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), which is the regulatory authority responsible for administering building controls for a particular project or part thereof. The AHJ is responsible for granting approval and ensuring that the certification meets the applicable legislative requirements.

A non-loadbearing covering of a wall system which contributes to the functionality of the external wall, usually but not limited to weatherproofing. [VBA Industry Alert Feb 2016 External walls & BCA compliance].

A completed fire protection measure is completed and commissioned and made operationally ready. A report is issued by a suitably qualified and experienced party that was responsible for the completion of the system. The report details the settings and working parameters of the system(s) and is to form part of the baseline data.

Computation Fluid Dynamics: Calculation method that solves equations to represent the movement of fluids in environment. [ABCB 2013]

Common Intelligibility Scale. As used in sound systems for emergency purposes defined in AS 1670.4 section 4.3.8. Methods of measuring speech intelligibility are given in Appendix B.

The process of uniquely creating, conceiving, formulating or determining the final form, shape, function or use of a building, including any or all of its parts or systems. For the purposes of this document, this includes deriving and/or preparing documentation, plans, specification and Fire Engineering Reports for submission to the AHJ for approval.

A description of the assumed fire characteristics within the design fire scenario.

A specific fire scenario of which a deterministic fire safety engineering analysis is conducted. [ABCB 2013]

This report provides the Relevant Building Surveyor (RBS) with the design details and "Good Faith" evidence to achieve the requirements of the BCA so that a Building Permit can be issued. Upon acceptance by the RBS this report along with any referenced drawings becomes the Approved Design. This can then be used by designers and contractors to develop drawings for tender or construction purposes, co-ordination, costing and project planning. This report can also be used to apply to authorities for information & dispensations, develop a specification for operational readiness and develop an Alternative Building Design. The project manager should use this report as the approved design (once approved) and engage suitably qualified professionals to determine that the installed works are in compliance with this report. System certifiers can use this report to verify that the building works have been satisfactorily installed and commissioned. This is important for them as they will test and inspect the fire protection services in accordance with the Approved Design.

(a) Any, or any combination of the following if they provide egress to a road or open space: (i) An internal or external stairway. (ii) A ramp. (iii) A fire-isolated passageway. (iv) A doorway opening to a road or open space. (b) A horizontal exit or a fire-isolated passageway leading to a horizontal exit. (BCA Definition).

Missing from this BCA definition is when an external side is open without a door. An exit is assumed when at the construction edge of the vertical plan leading to an open space.

The entire wall system which separates the interior air space of the building with the outside air space including any componentry or elements necessary for the external wall to achieve the requirements for structural performance, weather tightness, thermal performance, non-combustibility and required FRL if required by the type of construction, and any other functionality required under the BCA. This definition excludes any linings, materials and assemblies complying with Clause C1.10 or attachments complying with Specification C1.1 Clause 2.4 that may be applied to the inner or outer surface of the already fully compliant wall. [VBA Industry Alert Feb 2016 External walls & BCA compliance].

Fire detection and alarm system (AS 1670.1:2018)

Fire detection control and indicating equipment (AS 1670.1:2018)

A computer model that uses computational fluid dynamics to analyse the fire growth dynamics of enclosures by dividing the enclosure into a number of cells.

Means all the fire agency activities from the time of notification up to fire extinguishment and overhaul and includes the fire brigade operations.

Australian Fire Authorities Council process for quantifying fire brigade intervention. The model considers the following conditions within the building in determining acceptance levels: Routine: elevated temperatures, but not high and direct thermal radiation Hazardous: where fire fighters would be expected to operate for a short period of time in high temperatures in combination with direct thermal radiation Extreme: These conditions would be encountered in a snatch and rescue situation or a retreat from extreme heat Critical: Fire fighter would not be expected to operate in these conditions.

All the fire fighter activities from time of arrival at an incident including:

• Set up

• Search and rescue

• Fire attack

• Containment and control

• Extinguishment

• Overhaul.

Stage of fire development during which the heat release rate and the temperature of the fire are decreasing. [ABCB 2013]

State of physical inability to accomplish a specific task. [ABCB 2013]

The installer of a fire protection measure issues a statement that the measure of the system complies with the approved design. The installer is to be suitably qualified and experienced to the satisfaction of the AHJ. The statement to include any Performance Solutions that formed part of the design and that the completed works were to the satisfaction of the Fire Engineering Report.

Insulation in relation to FRL, means the ability to maintain a temperature on the surface not exposed to the furnace below the minutes specified in AS 1530.4. Refer also FRL.

Integrity in relation to FRL, means the ability to resist the passage of flames and hot gases for a duration in minutes when exposed to a standard fire test. Refer also FRL.

Peer Review is the process by which a qualified Fire Safety Engineer independently reviews a fire safety design that was not undertaken by the peer reviewer. The goal of the Peer Review is to determine compliance with the Building Code of Australia (BCA) and agreed acceptance criteria. The review includes ensuring that appropriate procedures and methodology have been followed and that adequate documentation has been provided.

Performance Based Design Brief (PBDB), also known as the Fire Engineering Brief, was introduced with the NCC 2019 A1 in 2021 for any design using a Performance Solution. A Performance Solution is a building solution that complies with the objectives and/or performance requirements of a code other than by reason of satisfying the deemed-to-satisfy provisions. PBDB may not be a fire-engineered solution (i.e., waterproofing).

A Performance Solution is a building solution that complies with the objectives and/or performance requirements of a code other than by reason of satisfying the deemed-to-satisfy provisions. Previously called an Alternative Solution (pre BCA 2016).

Products of Combustion are the products released as a result of a fire, including smoke, hot gases, and toxic species such as carbon monoxide and dioxide.

In a quantitative analysis, a Redundancy Study is when it is assumed that one of the building fire safety systems does not work. For example, a study to show the effect of failure of the fire sprinkler system. The acceptance criteria for this study is expected to be much less conservative than the design study.

In a quantitative analysis, a Reliability Study is undertaken when the probability of protective subsystems is analyzed. This method uses a probabilistic approach and is not generally used in deterministic analysis.

Resistance to the incipient spread of fire (RISF), in relation to a ceiling membrane, means the ability of the membrane to insulate the space between the ceiling and roof, or ceiling and floor above, so as to limit the temperature rise of materials in this space to a level which will not permit the rapid and general spread of fire throughout the space.

Required Safe Egress Time (RSET) is the time required for escape. This is the calculated time period required for an individual occupant to travel from their location at the time of ignition to a place of safety. RSET is the sum of the alarm + premovement + travel times from any location in the building to a place of safety. Time zero is assumed to be the time of ignition of a fire. For the acceptance of life safety, RSET needs to be less than ASET with an appropriate safety factor.

In the Victorian context of the Building Act, RBS stands for Relevant Building Surveyor. This term refers to the person who is responsible for reviewing and approving building applications and issuing permits, approvals, inspections, directions, notices, or orders.

A Safe Place is a place of safety within a building that is not under threat from a fire and from which people must be able to safely disperse after escaping the effects of an emergency to a road or open space or a road of open space.

Reviews the Fire Engineering Report and determines whether it is in accordance with the Fire Engineering Brief and that satisfactory engineering evidence has been provided in the FER. Provides certification as relevant to the building approval process as agreed in advance with the project manager. Is independent of the design process. Is not a relevant stakeholder.

A compliance report issued by a suitably qualified and experienced party that certifies that the installed system complies with the approved design. The third-party qualifications and experience to include qualified building practitioner with an Engineering category (or a party acceptable to the AHJ). Report to include details of inspection, testing, and commissioning and to the satisfaction of the AHJ. If any departures from the approved design have been included these are to be itemized.

Distance that is necessary for a person to travel from any point within a built environment to the nearest exit, taking into account the layout of walls, partitions, and fittings. This is used in determining the ASET.

The building solution (Performance Solution) proposed at the FEB phase which is examined for compliance with the accepted methodology.

A Verification Method is a test, inspection, calculation or other method that determines whether a Performance Solution complies with the relevant Performance Requirements. This can include a verification method provided in the NCC (National Construction Code), or such Verification Methods accepted by the appropriate authority that show compliance with the relevant Performance Requirements.

References:

• NCC 2019 BCA Vol One A2.2, Schedule 3

Visibility refers to the maximum distance at which an object of defined size, brightness, and contrast can be seen and recognized. This measure is used to determine incapacitation based on untenable conditions as defined in Appendix E Untenable conditions. Visibility is a key measure used in acceptance criteria when analyzing fire scenarios.