Plumbing Connection Spring 2016

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4 0 PLUMBING CONNECTION SPRING 2016
Plumbing Code of Australia. So when you are getting a quote
or ordering your materials for the job, you need to insist that
documentation in accordance with these rules is supplied
and that you check that all details are correct.
NON-COMPLYING BUILDING PRODUCTS
Having identified the pathways to product compliance, we
will now move on to considering the issue of non-compliant
products, or products that fail because they have been
used in the incorrect context. To understand how to identify
whether a product is non-complying, you need to have an
understanding of the Plumbing Code of Australia Deemed-
to-Satisfy compliance options.
Deemed-to-Satisfy solutions are those acceptable
construction practices that are either contained within
the Plumbing Code of Australia or reference documents
(generally Australian Standards) directly referred to by
the Plumbing Code of Australia. For example, for sanitary
flushing requirements, you would refer to part B1.5 of the
code for details in relation to volumes and cistern types. In
the case of sanitary plumbing systems for example there
are no construction practices contained in the code, rather
you are directed to AS/NZS 3500.2 for details of correct
practice. In both cases however, provided the design,
construction and materials were in accordance with these
practices, your work would be considered Deemed-to-
Satisfy, automatically meeting the codes performance
requirements.
The important point related to the management of
non-compliant products is the need to identify the specific
product type and where/how it is intended to be used.
This information should then be directly referenced to the
relevant part of the code (or the reference documents)
to identify specific construction details, durability
requirements and any potential limitations.
It is true to say that the Plumbing Code of Australia
does not reference specific brands or products, but the
1Senior Officers Group ‘Strategies to Address Risks Related to Non-
Conforming Building Products, p.4. Available at
SiteCollectionDocuments/NonConformingBuildingProductsReport.pdf
NON-CONFORMING PRODUCT
Contact:
Darryl O’Brien is Head of Program and Lecturer in Built
Environment Studies at CQUniversity and has qualifications
in building design, building surveying and planning. He
represents AIBS on the Construction Products Alliance and
has represented AIBS at federal and state forums.
manufacturers should provide the required design and
construction details for their product that directly refer to
the relevant Plumbing Code of Australia /Australian standard
parts, allowing you to further check product suitability. If
this information is not available how can you be sure that
the product or how you are using it is complaint?
Lastly, when gathering the manufacture’s installation
details, don’t forget to also ask for your watermark
certification or evidence of suitability documents.
Finally, it is also possible to formulate a design or use
materials that are not Deemed-to-Satisfy, known by the
Plumbing Code of Australia as Performance Solutions, but
this is a topic in its own right and one that we will consider
another day.
TO CONCLUDE
We live in a globalised world with new products and
innovations occurring at an ever increasing rate. While this
environment provides great opportunities it also introduces
new risks. To help manage these risks, plumbers need to
clearly understand the processes to determine product
conformity and the correct application of the product. You
should always ask the supplier for all necessary information
to satisfy yourself of the products evidence of suitability and
any conditions or limitations of use – if they cannot provide
you with satisfactory answers you need to dig deeper or
perhaps look elsewhere.
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