H—44A

Plumbing Supplies. —The Plumbing Supplies Committee has continued its work in connection with standard specifications required for citation in the Standard Code of Plumbing and Drainage By-laws. The existing standard specification for water-closet pans has been withdrawn and replaced by a corresponding British standard suitably amended. The adoption of the British standard establishes requirements which are more suitable and adequate, and, in addition, implements the policy of adopting uniform specifications throughout the British Commonwealth—an important trading and commercial consideration which avoids the necessity for British manufacturers to produce to a different specification for the New Zealand market. The committee has also revised the New Zealand Standard Specification for W.C. Flushing Cisterns (N.Z.S.S. 245) to incorporate definitions of high and low-level cisterns. These definitions have been adopted from a draft revision of the British Standard for W.C. Flushing Cisterns (B.S. 1125-1943) which the committee found to be unsuitable for adoption in New Zealand. Building Materials Sectional Committee (One meeting) Builders' Hardware Committee .. .. .. ... Two meetings. Builders' Hardware Panel .. . . .. .. .. One meeting. Metal Finishes Panel .. . . .. .. .. One meeting. Terrazzo Products Committee .. .. .. .. Two meetings. Building-boards Committee.. .. .. . . .. One meeting. Asbestos Cement Roofing Sheets Committee .. .. .. One meeting. Roofing-tiles Subcommittee .. .. .. .. Three meetings. Wire Nails and Staples Committee .. .. .. .. One meeting. Fibrous-plaster Committee .. .. .. .. .. One meeting. Gypsum Casting Plaster Panel . . . . . . .. One meeting. Second-hand Corrugated Roofing-iron Conference .. .. One meeting. Parent Committee.—The Building Materials Sectional Committee has continued to supervise and co-ordinate the work of the committees which function under its direction. In addition, it has reviewed 15 British standards, 17 draft British standards, 1 Australian standard, and 1 draft Australian standard, and has referred these, in appropriate cases, to committees for examination in relation to New Zealand's requirements. Builders' Hardware. —Standard specifications have been issued during the year for butt and strap hinges, barrel and pad bolts, sash-pulleys, brackets for asbestos-cement guttering and downpipes, and washers for asbestos-cement roofing-sheets. In addition, a standard specification for protective metal finishes has been completed and will shortly be issued. These specifications for builders' hardware, and other similar specifications in the course of preparation, will provide a basis for converting the factories concerned from war to civilian production in a way that will facilitate maximum output at minimum production costs and so will assist the successful maintenance and development of these industries. In addition, the establishment of standard types permits the user to select economical hardware on the basis of comparable service types. The value of this work is demonstrated by a statement from the U.S. National Bureau of Standards to the effect that a similar programme of standardization there eliminated 26 per cent, of the items previously used, while the adoption of 25 standard finishes in place of 100 non-standard finishes yielded an estimated yearly saving of $10,000,000. Terrazzo Products.—A standard specification for terrazzo work completed during the year incorporates minimum requirements in respect of terrazzo work generally, as well as special requirements relating to the manufacture of precast terrazzo slabs and the laying of terrazzo floors. This specification has been prepared in full consultation with the producers and building interests, including the Department of Housing Construction. It provides a reliable basis for the supply of this building material that will exclude inferior products which destroy user confidence and discredit an industry within which some manufacturing units have maintained a high standard of quality and afforded a valuable service to the building industry, and therefore to the country.

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