Latest improvements to the Building Code have been published

Following a public consultation in August/September of this year, changes in the latest biannual Building Code update will:

• support safer and more resilient foundations for buildings on liquefaction-prone ground, and
• improve consenting efficiency for steel-framed housing by introducing a new steel frame Acceptable Solution.

The liquefaction-prone ground change is already in place in the Canterbury region, and will now be extended to all of New Zealand. This will provide clarity to both councils and engineers, ensuring new buildings are being built safely and strongly enough to withstand liquefaction risks.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is also making the National Association of Steel Framed Housing (NASH) standard an Acceptable Solution, rather than an Alternative Solution. This will help support higher density housing by increasing the number of construction material options available in compliance pathways.

We’ve also made a number of smaller improvements to the Building Code. See the full list on the Building Performance website.

The biannual Building Code update programme

These changes are part of MBIE’s biannual Building Code update programme. Twice a year, MBIE consults with industry to ensure continuous improvement to New Zealand’s Building Code clauses. The next consultation will open in February 2020 for the June update. Find out more about the Building Code update programme.

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