Are your suppliers compliant smart? Asking the right questions

It’s no secret Australia is experiencing more frequent extreme and deadly weather events. From devastating fires and flood seasons occurring across the country, to earthquakes in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Darwin as recently as June 2022.

Aside from the concern for people’s immediate suffering through these extreme weather ordeals, we need to talk about the impact on infrastructure and question ‘Are we ready for what is to come?’

The old adage, “she’ll be right mate” which is so often heard on site – needs to be followed up with a “Will she stand up to an earthquake and more?”

“Existing infrastructure has commonly been designed to suit historic climates and may not withstand future climate conditions” – a humbling thought reported by AdaptNSW, a department of NSW state government to inform on climate change.

As a member of one of the largest industries in this country, (Con-form Group is a manufacturer of HVAC&R mounting systems), we understand that we are a relatively small player in the larger construction game. That being said, we are doing our part to ensure our contribution addresses the concerning reality of climate change. How do we play our part? Compliance and safety – above all!

How does ‘compliance’ play a part in climate change?

Compliance, by definition, is “a set of standards introduced to prevent or reduce the risk of injury to a person”. But how do we contextualise this in terms of non-structural components (i.e., your lighting, AC or rooftop platforms)?

It starts with asking the right questions of your contractors. Do they truly understand what is required of them, beyond the sale?

We encourage questions around seismic compliance and wind load compliance! For example, do your contractors understand the risks associated with structural load compliance?

Beyond regulation – why is it so important?

Australia sits at the centre of the Australian tectonic plate, which is currently colliding with the Pacific plate, generating inadequate stress and causing more frequent and regular earthquakes across our continent. There have been more than 3,000 earthquakes in the last 365 days (Figure 1), wherein 126 quakes had magnitudes more than 5 and 13 had magnitudes more than 6.

Due to the risk associated with earthquakes – for example the Kalgoorlie-Boulder earthquake of 2010 that caused loss of life and saw the closure of local gold mines; or the Newcastle earthquake of 1989 that killed 13 and injured 160 – codes have been developed by the Council of Standards Australia.

The aim of AS/NZS 1170.4 ‘Structural design actions, Part 4: Earthquake actions in Australia’ is to prevent collapse and protect lives in the event of any seismic activity. Structures adopting AS 1170.4 are believed to have adequate structural resistance to seismic loads. However, did you know that non-structural elements such as HVAC platforms, ceilings, and walls are also required to have seismic capabilities in their design and functionality?

Cyclone Mahina in 1989, was one of the biggest cyclones to ever hit Queensland, the devastation caused damage to over 2,000 properties and more than 300 lives were lost. Between 1989 to 1998, Australia faced three cyclones whereas, between 1999-2018, there were six.

To cope with and protect structural and non-structural components of buildings, code AS/NZS 1170.2 was established by the Council of Standards Australia.

The aim of AS/NZS 1170.2 ‘Structural design actions, Part 4: Wind actions’ is to make sure the structural and non-structural components, such as plant platforms or roofs in general, can carry wind penetrations.

Aside from cyclones and earthquakes, Australia (as we are all currently aware), also experience severe thunderstorms – especially along the northwest Australian coastline. This not only increases water levels triggering floods, but also acute hailstorms. In the last decade itself (2012-2022), there have been 15 major storms across Australia, resulting in the loss of hundreds of lives, and cost billions of dollars of infrastructures damage (see sources).

Structural load compliance – AS/NZS 1170.1 ‘Structural design actions, Part 1: Permanent, imposed, and other actions’ was prepared by Joint Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand Committee to ensure structures were designed to protect against wind, snow and ice, earthquake, and other actions.

What does Con-form Group do to address these risks?

At Con-form Group, we take compliance very seriously. Our in-house team of Engineers have developed our systems with these very serious compliance measures in mind. We have unique seismic, wind uplift and load designs built into the foundation of every product we manufacture and install.

Our in-house Engineers and R&D teams are constantly monitoring and developing eco-friendly, cost-effective, and customer-oriented products with safety and compliance at the heart.

Additionally, Con-form Group offers engineer-certified systems and include a 25-year warranty on all products.

For ease of access, we’ve highlighted what is required for structures and it’s components in relations to earthquake actions.

Questions to ask…

Questions to ask your non-structural components suppliers – specifically HVAC&R plant platform suppliers:

1. How have you engineered seismic compliance into your product?

2. How do you ensure wind load compliance?

3. How do you ensure structural integrity? To ensure it has a long-life?

We’re here to make your life easier and champion compliance across our sector. Questions? Call us today!