AS 3959-2018

Description

AS 3959 – 2018 Edition – Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas

AS 3959 specifies requirements for the construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas in order to improve their resistance to bushfire attack from burning embers, radiant heat, flame contact and combinations of the three attack forms.

Although AS 3959 is designed to improve the performance of buildings when subjected to bushfire attack in designated bushfire-prone areas there canbe no guarantee that a building will survive a bushfire event on every occasion. Thisis substantially due to the unpredictable nature and behaviourof fire and extreme weatherconditions.

AS 3959 does not provide anyrequirements for fencing andscreen walls. Fencing and screen walls may reduce exposure of a building to embers, radiant heat and flame contact from the bushfire front and from other potential fire sources such as adjacent buildings. The efficacy of fencing and walls depends on its resistance to ember, radiant heat and flame attack and potential for ignition and subsequent sustained flaming, height and structural design and specific site configurations. Therefore no specificadvice has been provided in AS 3959 but designers mayconsider utilizing fencing andwalls to improve house
survivability beyond the base levelsprovided in this Standard.

NOTES:

• The construction measures contained in this Standard apply to any building class and are notthe only measures that can be considered to address bushfire attack as there are other meansavailable that are outside the scope of this Standard.
• This Standard does not address the infiltration of smoke nor any associated health and safetyrisk. The combustion of materials and coatings during a bushfire may present a health andsafety risk. Selection of external materials should be considered in relation to potential healthand safety risk in a bushfire.
• The vulnerability of a building is also affected by building design and maintenance. Theprovision of water, access and landscaping is also important but falls outside the scope of thisStandard. The overall survivability of a building is dependenton a combination of thesemeasures in achieving improved safety.

General Product Information:

Amendments, rulings, supplements, and errata include:

AS 3959:2018 AMD 1:2019
June 2019
Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas

AS 3959:2018 AMD 2:2020
December 2020
Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas