Part C3 Compartmentation and separation

(1) Where a Deemed-to-Satisfy Solution is proposed, Performance Requirements C1P1 to C1P9 are satisfied by complying with—

1. C2D2 to C2D15, C3D2 to C3D15 and C4D2 to C4D17; and
2. in a building containing an atrium, Part G3; and
3. for a building containing an occupiable outdoor area, Part G6; and
4. for additional requirements for Class 9b buildings, Part I1; and
5. for farm sheds, Part I3.

(2) Where a Performance Solution is proposed, the relevant Performance Requirements must be determined in accordance with A2G2(3) and A2G4(3) as applicable.

(1) C3D3, C3D4 and C3D5 do not apply to a carpark provided with a sprinkler system (other than a FPAA101D or FPAA101H system) complying with Specification 17, an open-deck carpark or an open spectator stand.

(2) C3D13(1)(e) does not apply to a Class 8 electricity network substation.

(1) The size of any fire compartment or atrium in a Class 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 building must not exceed the relevant maximum floor area nor the relevant maximum volume set out in Table C3D3 and C3D6 except as permitted in C3D4.

(2) A part of a building which contains only heating, ventilating, or lift equipment, water tanks, or similar service units is not counted in the floor area or volume of a fire compartment or atrium if it is situated at the top of the building.

(3) In a building containing an atrium, the part of the atrium well bounded by the perimeter of the openings in the floors and extending from the level of the first floor above the atrium floor to the roof covering is not counted in the volume of the atrium for the purposes of this clause.

The size of a fire compartment in a building may exceed that specified in Table C3D3 where—

1. the building does not exceed 18 000 m² in floor area nor exceed 108 000 m³ in volume, if—
   1. the building is Class 7 or 8 and—
      1. contains not more than 2 storeys; and
      2. is provided with open space complying with C3D5(1) not less than 18 m wide around the building; or
   2. the building is Class 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 and is—
      1. protected throughout with a sprinkler system complying with Specification 17; and
      2. provided with a perimeter vehicular access complying with C3D5(2); or
2. the building is Class 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 and exceeds 18 000 m² in floor area or 108 000 m³ in volume, if it is—
   1. protected throughout with a sprinkler system complying with Specification 17; and
   2. provided with a perimeter vehicular access complying with C3D5(2); or
3. there is more than one building on the allotment and—
   1. each building complies with (a) or (b); or
   2. if the buildings are closer than 6 m to each other they are regarded as one building and collectively comply with (a) or (b).

(1) An open space required by C3D4 must—

1. be wholly within the allotment except that any road, river, or public place adjoining the allotment, but not the farthest 6 m of it may be included; and
2. include vehicular access in accordance with (2); and
3. not be used for the storage or processing of materials; and
4. not be built upon, except for guard houses and service structures (such as electricity substations and pump houses) which may encroach upon the width of the space if they do not unduly impede fire-fighting at any part of the perimeter of the allotment or unduly add to the risk of spread of fire to any building on an adjoining allotment.

(2) Vehicular access required by this Part—

1. must be capable of providing continuous access for emergency vehicles to enable travel in a forward direction from a public road around the entire building; and
2. must have a minimum unobstructed width of 6 m with no part of its furthest boundary more than 18 m from the building and in no part of the 6 m width be built upon or used for any purpose other than vehicular or pedestrian movement; and
3. must provide reasonable pedestrian access from the vehicular access to the building; and
4. must have a load bearing capacity and unobstructed height to permit the operation and passage of fire brigade vehicles; and
5. must be wholly within the allotment except that a public road complying with (a), (b), (c) and (d) may serve as the vehicular access or part thereof.

(1) A Class 9a health-care building must comply with the following:

1. patient care areas must be divided into fire compartments not exceeding 2000 m².
2. A fire compartment must be separated from the remainder of the building by fire walls and—
   1. in Type A construction—floors and roof or ceiling as required in Specification 5; and
   2. in Type B construction—floors with an FRL of not less than 120/120/120 and with the openings in external walls bounding patient care areas being vertically separated in accordance with the requirements of C3D7 as if the building were of Type A construction.
3. Ward areas—
   1. where the floor area exceeds 1000 m², must be divided into floor areas not more than 1000 m² by walls with an FRL of not less than 60/60/60; and
   2. where the floor area exceeds 500 m², must be divided into floor areas not more than 500 m² by smoke-proof walls complying with Specification 11; and
   3. where the floor area is not more than 500 m², must be separated from the remainder of the patient care area by smoke-proof walls complying with Specification 11; and
   4. where division of ward areas by fire-resisting walls under (a) or (c)(i) is not required, any smoke-proof wall required under (c)(ii) or (iii) must have an FRL of not less than 60/60/60.
4. Treatment areas—
   1. where the floor area exceeds 1000 m², must be divided into floor areas not more than 1000 m² by smoke-proof walls complying with Specification 11; and
   2. where the floor area is not more than 1000 m², must be separated from the remainder of the patient care area by smoke-proof walls complying with Specification 11.
5. Ancillary use areas located within a patient care area and containing equipment or materials that are a high potential fire hazard, must be separated from the remainder of the patient care area by walls with an FRL of not less than 60/60/60.
6. The ancillary use areas referred to in (e) include, but are not limited to, the following:
   1. A kitchen and related food preparation areas having a combined floor area of more than 30 m².
   2. A room containing a hyperbaric facility (pressure chamber).
   3. A room used predominantly for the storage of medical records having a floor area of more than 10 m².
   4. A laundry, where items of equipment are of the type that are potential fire sources (e.g. gas fire dryers).
7. A wall required by (e) to separate ancillary use areas from the remainder of the building must extend to the underside of—
   1. the floor above; or
   2. a non-combustible roof covering; or
   3. a ceiling having a resistance to the incipient spread of fire to the space above itself of not less than 60 minutes.
8. Openings in walls required by (c) and (e) to have an FRL must be protected as follows:
   1. Doorways—self-closing or automatic closing –/60/30 fire doors.
   2. Windows—automatic or permanently fixed closed –/60/– fire windows or –/60/– automatic fire shutters.
   3. Other openings—construction having an FRL not less than –/60/–.

(2) In a building containing a Class 9b early childhood centre—

1. unless the Class 9b early childhood centre is the only use in the building, it must be separated from the remainder of the building by walls and/or floors with an FRL not less than that required for a fire wall; and
2. each storey within the Class 9b early childhood centre must contain not less than 2 fire compartments.

(3) A Class 9c building must comply with the following:

1. A building must be divided into areas not more than 500 m² by smoke-proof walls complying with Specification 11.
2. A fire compartment must be separated from the remainder of the building by fire walls and, notwithstanding C3D8 and Specification 5, floors with an FRL of not less than 60/60/60.
3. Internal walls (other than those bounding lift and stair shafts) supported by floors provided in accordance with (b) need not comply with Specification 5 if they have an FRL not less than 60/–/–.
4. Ancillary use areas containing equipment or materials that are a high potential fire hazard, must be separated from the sole-occupancy units by smoke-proof walls complying with Specification 11.
5. The ancillary use areas referred to in (d) include, but are not limited to, the following:
   1. A kitchen and related food preparation areas having a combined floor area of more than 30 m².
   2. A laundry, where items of equipment are of the type that are potential fire sources (e.g. gas fired dryers).
   3. Storage rooms greater than 10 m² used predominantly for the storage of administrative records.
6. Openings in fire walls must be protected as follows:
   1. Doorways —self-closing or automatic closing –/60/30 fire doors.
   2. Windows —automatic or permanently fixed closed –/60/– fire windows or –/60/– automatic fire shutters.
   3. Other openings — construction having an FRL not less than –/60/–.

(1) If in a building of Type A construction, any part of a window or other opening in an external wall is above another opening in the storey next below and its vertical projection falls no further than 450 mm outside the lower opening (measured horizontally), the openings must be separated by—

1. a spandrel which—
   1. is not less than 900 mm in height; and
   2. extends not less than 600 mm above the upper surface of the intervening floor; and
   3. is of non-combustible material having an FRL of not less than 60/60/60; or
2. part of a curtain wall or panel wall that complies with (a); or
3. construction that complies with (a) behind a curtain wall or panel wall and has any gaps packed with a non-combustible material that will withstand thermal expansion and structural movement of the walling without the loss of seal against fire and smoke; or
4. a slab or other horizontal construction that—
   1. projects outwards from the external face of the wall not less than 1100 mm; and
   2. extends along the wall not less than 450 mm beyond the openings concerned; and
   3. is non-combustible and has an FRL of not less than 60/60/60.

(2) The requirements of (1) do not apply to—

1. an open-deck carpark; or
2. an open spectator stand; or
3. a building which has a sprinkler system (other than a FPAA101D or FPAA101H system) complying with Specification 17 installed throughout; or
4. openings within the same stairway; or
5. openings in external walls where the floor separating the storeys does not require an FRL with respect to integrity and insulation.

(3) For the purposes of C3D7, window or other opening means that part of the external wall of a building that does not have an FRL of 60/60/60 or greater.

(1) Construction — A fire wall must be constructed in accordance with the following:

1. The fire wall has the relevant FRL prescribed by Specification 5 for each of the adjoining parts, and if these are different, the greater FRL, except where S5C19(3)(c)(i), S5C22(3)(c)(i) and S5C25(3)(c)(i) permit a lower FRL on the carpark side.
2. Any openings in a fire wall must not reduce the FRL required by Specification 5 for the fire wall, except where permitted by the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions of Part C4.
3. Building elements, other than roof battens with dimensions of 75 mm x 50 mm or less or sarking-type material, must not pass through or cross the fire wall unless the required fire-resisting performance of the fire wall is maintained.

(2) Separation of buildings — A part of a building separated from the remainder of the building by a fire wall may be treated as a separate building for the purposes of the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions of Sections C, D and E if it is constructed in accordance with (1) and the following:

1. The fire wall extends through all storeys and spaces in the nature of storeys that are common to that part and any adjoining part of the building.
2. The fire wall is carried through to the underside of the roof covering.
3. Where the roof of one of the adjoining parts is lower than the roof of the other part, the fire wall extends to the underside of—
   1. the covering of the higher roof, or not less than 6 m above the covering of the lower roof; or
   2. the lower roof if it has an FRL not less than that of the fire wall and no openings closer than 3 m to any wall above the lower roof; or
   3. the lower roof if its covering is non-combustible and the lower part has a sprinkler system (other than a FPAA101D or FPAA101H system) complying with Specification 17.

(3) Separation of fire compartments — A part of a building separated from the remainder of the building by a fire wall may be treated as a separate fire compartment if it is constructed in accordance with (a) and the fire wall extends to the underside of—

1. a floor having an FRL required for a fire wall; or
2. the roof covering.

(1) If a building has parts of different classifications located alongside one another in the same storey—

1. each building element in that storey must have the higher FRL prescribed in Specification 5 for that element for the classifications concerned; or
2. the parts must be separated in that storey by a fire wall.

(2) A fire wall required by (1)(b) must have the FRL prescribed in accordance with Specification 5 as applicable for that element for the Type of construction and the classifications concerned.

(3) For the purposes of (2), the FRL in Specification 5 must be either—

1. the higher FRL prescribed in Table S5C11d or S5C21d; or
2. the FRL prescribed in Table S5C24c.

(4) For the purposes of (1), where one part is a carpark complying with S5C19, S5C22 or S5C25, the parts may be separated by a fire wall complying with S5C19(3)(c), S5C22(3)(c) or S5C25(3)(c) as appropriate.

If parts of different classification are situated one above the other in adjoining storeys they must be separated as follows:

1. Type A construction — The floor between the adjoining parts must have an FRL of not less than that prescribed in Specification 5 for the classification of the lower storey.
2. Type B or C construction — If one of the adjoining parts is of Class 2, 3 or 4, the floor separating the part from the storey below must—
   1. be a floor/ceiling system incorporating a ceiling which has a resistance to the incipient spread of fire to the space above itself of not less than 60 minutes; or
   2. have an FRL of at least 30/30/30; or
   3. have a fire-protective covering on the underside of the floor, including beams incorporated in it, if the floor is combustible or of metal.

(1) Any lift connecting more than 2 storeys, or more than 3 storeys if the building is sprinklered, (other than lifts which are wholly within an atrium) must be separated from the remainder of the building by enclosure in a shaft in which—

1. in a building required to be of Type A construction — the walls have the relevant FRL prescribed by Specification 5; and
2. in a building required to be of Type B construction — the walls—
   1. if loadbearing, have the relevant FRL prescribed by Table S5C21e; or
   2. if non-loadbearing, be of non-combustible construction.

(2) Any lift in a patient care area in a Class 9a health-care building or a resident use area in Class 9c building must be separated from the remainder of the building by a shaft having an FRL of not less than—

1. in a building of Type A or B construction — 120/120/120; or
2. in a building of Type C construction — 60/60/60.

(3) An emergency lift must be contained within a fire-resisting shaft having an FRL of not less than 120/120/120.

(4) Openings for lift landing doors and services must be protected in accordance with the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions of Part C4.

A stairway and lift must not be in the same shaft if either the stairway or the lift is required to be in a fire-resisting shaft.

(1) Equipment other than that described in (2) and (3) must be separated from the remainder of the building with construction complying with (4), if that equipment comprises—

1. lift motors and lift control panels; or
2. emergency generators used to sustain emergency equipment operating in the emergency mode; or
3. central smoke control plant; or
4. boilers; or
5. a battery system installed in the building that has a total voltage of 12 volts or more and a storage capacity of 200 kWh or more.

(2) Equipment need not be separated in accordance with (1) if the equipment comprises—

1. smoke control exhaust fans located in the air stream which are constructed for high temperature operation in accordance with Specification 21; or
2. stair pressurising equipment installed in compliance with the relevant provisions of AS 1668.1; or
3. a lift installation without a machine-room; or
4. equipment otherwise adequately separated from the remainder of the building.

(3) Separation of on-site fire pumps must comply with the requirements of AS 2419.1.

(4) Separating construction must have—

1. except as provided by (b)—
   1. an FRL as required by Specification 5, but not less than 120/120/120; and
   2. any doorway protected with a self-closing fire door having an FRL of not less than –/120/30; or
2. when separating a lift shaft and lift motor room, an FRL not less than 120/–/–.

(1) An electricity substation located within a building must—

1. be separated from any other part of the building by construction having an FRL of not less than 120/120/120; and
2. have any doorway in that construction protected with a self-closing fire door having an FRL of not less than –/120/30.

(2) A main switchboard located within the building which sustains emergency equipment operating in the emergency mode must—

1. be separated from any other part of the building by construction having an FRL of not less than 120/120/120; and
2. have any doorway in that construction protected with a self-closing fire door having an FRL of not less than –/120/30.

(3) Subject to (4), electrical conductors must—

1. have a classification in accordance with AS/NZS 3013 of not less than—
   1. if located in a position that could be subject to damage by motor vehicles — WS53W; or
   2. otherwise — WS52W; or
2. be enclosed or otherwise protected by construction having an FRL of not less than 120/120/120.

(4) The requirements of (3) only apply to electrical conductors located within a building that supply—

1. a substation located within the building which supplies a main switchboard covered by (2); or
2. a main switchboard covered by (2).

(5) Where emergency equipment is required in a building, all switchboards in the electrical installation, which sustain the electricity supply to the emergency equipment, must be constructed so that emergency equipment switchgear is separated from non-emergency equipment switchgear by metal partitions designed to minimise the spread of a fault from the non-emergency equipment switchgear.

(6) For the purposes of (5), emergency equipment includes but is not limited to the following:

1. Fire hydrant booster pumps.
2. Pumps for automatic sprinkler systems, water spray, chemical fluid suppression systems or the like.
3. Pumps for fire hose reels where such pumps and fire hose reels form the sole means of fire protection in the building.
4. Air handling systems designed to exhaust and control the spread of fire and smoke.
5. Emergency lifts.
6. Control and indicating equipment.
7. Emergency warning and intercom systems.

In a Class 2 or 3 building, a public corridor, if more than 40 m in length, must be divided at intervals of not more than 40 m with smoke-proof walls complying with S11C2.