Tiled showers in second storey ensuites and multi-unit developments often create design challenges and durability risks to designers and homeowners alike. How can these areas be more durable and remove the risk of leaks or failures in the selected system?

Detailing of the rainwater outlet penetration — from flange preparation to overflow provision — plays a central role in protecting the building envelope from moisture ingress.

Meeting the requirements of E2 ch 7.4 will ensure that your design offers a compliant level threshold solution, negating the need for any specific design. Avoiding alternative solution designs will assist in a smoother consenting process and reduce RFI responses.

It's not enough to erect fire-resistant walls and floors; we need an integrated system that accommodates all building services, plumbing, electrical cables, HVAC and drainage while preventing vertical fire spread, maintaining integrity under seismic or thermal movement, and preserving life-safety performance.

Post-tensioned concrete slabs, with their associated steel tendons, are a common construction technique in New Zealand for elevated slabs, residential buildings, and warehouses. These flooring systems, along with the building's other structural elements and services, can penetrate the slabs and fire cells, so each penetration needs to be treated to stop the spread of fire.