BUILDING BYLAWS

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 6, 2 October 1941, Page 6

BUILDING BYLAWS

New Zealand Standard Code PROGRESS REVIEWED The extent to which the New Zealand standard code of building bylaws was being adopted by municipalities clearly indicated that its value was fully'appreciated, said the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr. Sullivan, in a statement yesterday. Forty-eight local authorities were adopting the code. These represented an aggregate of well over 500,000 persons, or more than two-thirds of the urban population. The general adoption of the code would effect enormous savings by ensuring that specifications relating to materials, equipment, construction, installation and general procedure would satisfy the relevant requirements in each district.

Praising the provisions of the various parts of the code for their comprehensiveness, the Minister said that the members of the committees engaged on the work were all highly qualified representatives of various interests, including engineers, architects, officers of local bodies, building and related trades, and Government departments.*■. Progress had exceeded all expectations. In four years seven of the original ten parts of the Model Building Bylaw, Sections I-X, had been completely revised, and five of seven additional parts had been formulated. In addition two parts were in course of development, \ and nine specifications which were cited within the code had been issued.

The two additional parts making provision respectively for adequate means of egress and fire-resisting constructipn were regarded as 'being of particular Importance and urgency. Every endeavour was being made to make “Means of Egress” available to local bodies by the end of the present year, and steps had been taken also to expedite the completion of “Fire-Resist-ing Construction." Referring to the need for provisions which would permit the general use 'of welding as alternative to riveting in the fabrication of steel framed buildings, the Minister said that this had become the recognized practice overseas, though no provision has been made for its use with proper safeguards In New Zealand. The use of welding conserved the supply of steel and often enabled one man to do a job for which two would otherwise be required, and generally established a more advanced, efficient and economic building construction practice.