The traditional approach for facility managers is to do whatever it takes to make the passive fire issue disappear. This is not always the most cost-effective approach.

Common themes with comfortable high performance houses are insulation, airtightness, ventilation and heating. 

Any and all tested penetration seals, installed in accordance with the manufacturers specifications or AS 4072.1, “cannot – not be accepted as being compliant” with the NZBC.

This month I look at the provision of containment pressure to maintain the effectiveness of bentonite tanking membranes under both static and seismic conditions. 

Protecting structure from moisture before, during and after construction is a code minimum requirement of B2 durability.

Mitigating the risk of over-hydration is key to the success of a bentonite membrane — especially in wet conditions. 

The thermal performance of a house is determined by the complex interaction of a variety of major influences. With higher performance being desired, and demanded, it becomes more important that an objective measure is used for an assessment to be meaningful.

Designers, project managers, installers and building consent officials exercising duty of care responsibilities would positively contribute to raising the bar on all passive fire protection installations in NZ.

How do I get my design to meet expectations of comfort?

When designing buildings for thermal performance, which criteria should dominate when it comes to the selection of building materials?