Strata Managers & Owners Corporation

Combustible Cladding Rectification and Testing of Class 2 Multi Storey Residential Apartment Buildings

  • Do you have combustible cladding issues, have recently received council building notices/orders or have seen your building insurance premiums skyrocket and need urgent assistance with combustible cladding testing & assessment and/or cladding rectification on your residential apartment building?

If you’re a strata manager/owners corporation of a class 2 multi storey residential apartment building in Queensland, New South Wales, or Victoria, contact the team at National Remedial Services (NRS).

As combustible cladding project management specialists, NRS is your end to end combustible cladding remediation provider.

From façade assessment, sample testing and identification to rectification works and recertification, we offer convenience, simplicity and a single point accountability throughout the entire process. 

Get in touch with our team online or by phone on 0430 370 773 for a ‘no-obligation’ quotation today.

The State of Combustible Cladding
in Class 2 Residential Apartment Buildings

In 2014, Melbourne’s Lacross Building fire and subsequently London’s Glenfell Tower fire in 2017, triggered state governments in Australia to establish cladding task forces to implement procedures and processes to ensure combustible cladding is not used in the future construction of class 2 multi storey residential apartment buildings and to identity and rectify buildings constructed after March 1997 that may have used combustible cladding materials.

Melbourne's Lacross building
London's Glenfell Tower

While state authorities have now banned the use of Aluminium Composite Panels (ACP) with a polyethylene content of 30% or more and Expanded Polystyrene cladding (EPS) on new class 2 multi storey residential apartment buildings , owners and managers of buildings constructed after 1997, are now facing the daunting task of potentially having combustible cladding on their buildings and the associated rectification works necessary to ensure the safety of tenants and relevant stakeholders.

ACP & EPS

ACP
EPS

Biowood

Whilst there are no product bans or other legislature that prohibit the use of Biowood in any states in Australia, it is a highly combustible material. The Building Code of Australia (BCA) Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions do not permit its use on external walls of Type A and Type B multi storey residential apartment buildings unless a certified fire engineering performance solution has been developed.

Biowood

State Regulations & Guidelines

Regulations regarding combustible cladding identification, registration and rectification vary from state to state and cladding task forces have been set up to tackle this on-going fire-safety issue.

In Victoria, the Victorian cladding taskforce was established in July 2017 with the aim of

  1. Ensuring new class 2 residential apartments buildings (3 storeys or more) are constructed utilising non-combustible cladding systems and
  2. To implement procedures and processes to deal with class 2 residential apartment buildings (3 storeys or more) constructed after 1997 that have been constructed utilising combustible cladding materials.
  3. A robust system of rectification has been developed clearly outlining audit responsibilities with the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) taking the lead, and the establishment of Cladding Safety Victoria (CSV) to provide rectification support along with extensive Government financial support for those buildings that have been highly impacted.
  4. The Victorian Residential Cladding Rectification Register (RCRR) has also been established providing strata managers/owners corporations of class 2 residential apartment buildings, access to pre-approved cladding rectification specialists, ensuring quality and consistency of works can be delivered to the sector. NRS is an approved construction service supplier on the RCRR and can provide best in class “end to end” project management services to strata managers/owners corporations during the rectification process.

In March of 2018, an amendment was made to the Building Act of Victoria 1993 banning and/or restricting the use of Aluminium Composite Panels (ACP) with 30% or more polyethylene core along with Expanded Polystyrene Cladding (EPS) on class 2 residential apartment buildings 3 storeys or more.

Another of the task force recommendations was to empower the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) to audit all Class 2 residential apartment buildings (3 storey or more) constructed after 1997, for the presence of combustible cladding and rank them as extreme, high, moderate or low risk.

Cladding Safety Victoria (CSV) was then established to support the rectification process of effected buildings and to provide Government grants for selected cladding rectification works accordingly.

To date, the VBA has audited over 4,700 buildings and found 481 buildings to be either “extreme” or “high” risk, 388 moderate and 200 low risk cases

These extreme or high-risk buildings may qualify for Government grants available from Cladding Safety Victoria providing rectification contractors are selected by strata managers/owners corporations from the Victorian Residential Cladding Register. This is a register of Government pre-approved cladding rectification specialists of which NRS is one.

Effectively in Victoria, a robust system of rectification has been developed clearly outlining audit responsibilities, rectification support and processes along with extensive Government financial support for those buildings that have been highly impacted.

Is Cladding Rectification Optional?

While regulations on building registration vary from state to state, once strata managers/owners corporations have been made aware of combustible cladding issues either by lab testing, council notifications or by any other means, compliance with current state guidelines and regulations is mandatory. Strata managers/owners corporations have a legal responsibility to act to ensure a safe environment to tenants. Insurance companies should also be informed so that all risks can be evaluated, and mitigation measures are put in place.

Non-compliance or delaying cladding rectification orders put strata managers/owners corporations at litigation risk by councils and tenants for not fulfilling their responsibility to provide a safe environment for tenants.

Our Five-Step Cladding Rectification Process

NRS provides a complete end-to-end solution to assess, sample, identify, mitigate and rectify class 2 residential buildings in QLD, NSW and VIC affected by ACP, EPS and Biowood combustible cladding. Whether you are looking to test your cladding proactively, or have just been made aware that your building has been identified as extreme, high, moderate or low risk by your State’s cladding taskforce, National Remedial Services will ensure a smooth transition from noncompliance to rectification and re-certification with professional and expert guidance every step of the way.

Our building façade assessment is for strata managers/owners corporation that require an initial building inspection to determine if their building has any combustible cladding present

An NRS cladding consultant will attend the building site and inspect the external façade, if combustible cladding is found, suitable sample quantities and locations for core sampling will be determined to be presented in a findings and recommendations report. At this early stage, core samples can also be taken at a substantial price reduction.

Once the building façade assessment has been completed and potential combustible cladding identified, NRS technicians will perform a site visit and remove required core samples from the combustible cladding locations (as identified in the building facade assessment) for cladding test purposes.

An NRS sub-consultant will attend the site at an agreed upon time and remove a 50mm diameter core from an inconspicuous area of the building and fit an appropriate plug.  Through our partnerships with Insurance Council of Australia accredited testing laboratories, the core sample(s) will undergo testing analysis to determine chemical composition and polymer percentage to determine combustibility.

Once the tests results are available from the laboratory, Our C-10 fire engineer will analyse results, determine an appropriate ICA risk category and make a recommendation to remove effected cladding or to conduct a stage 3, C10 fire engineering risk assessment to determine feasibility of partial or full cladding retention.

With the Building Façade Assessment and core sample tests in hand an NRS registered C-10 fire engineer may conduct a fire engineering risk assessment to determine the feasibility of a fire engineering performance solution considering partial or full cladding retention and prepare a Façade Risk Assessment Report (FRAR).

Includes:

  • Review façade assessment report
  • Review of sample testing results
  • Review the as-built design
  • Detail if, and how, the external wall cladding complies with BCA 2019
  • Comment on external wall compliance with NCC 2019
  • Undertake preliminary feasibility assessment to determine if a partial retention or full retention performance solution is likely to be feasible.
  • Provide a preliminary scope of works likely to be required to justify the partial or full retention performance solution (this will allow pricing for a performance solution to be compared to that of full recladding)
  • Make a recommendation regarding the likely best project solution

While NRS works with a national network of registered building specialists experienced in combustible cladding rectification, the delay between initial identification and final re-certification puts your building at increased risk.

As such we recommend the implementation of an emergency planning and management solution which can detail:

  • Upgrades to existing safety measures.
  • The review or establishment of emergency plans.
  • Evacuation procedures.
  • Fire safety training including building evacuations.
  • Tailored mitigation measures for your specific circumstances.

From fire engineering performance solutions to full recladding options, the NRS project management approach ensures the transition from non-compliance to rectification and re-certification is a process driven journey and not a painful trek.

 

Using our national network of registered building specialists that are highly experienced in combustible cladding rectification, we will assist in the development of a scope of works and provide quotations that are competitive and timely. As your dedicated rectification project manager, we work closely with you and the building rectification specialists to ensure all rectification works are transparent and carried out as detailed in the schedule of works for your peace of mind.

Rectification Cost & Finance Solutions

While the costs of cladding rectification works will vary from building to building, the team at NRS knows that for most strata managers/owners corporations, the initial expenditure for rectification may exceed the limits of sinking and special contribution funds; As a full-service cladding remediation provider, we have partnered with leading ASX listed finance providers to support funding gaps in VIC and full funding in NSW and QLD. With competitive marketing rates and flexible payment terms available, we can help you get recertified sooner rather than later, potentially saving you big on insurance premiums.

With competitive marketing rates and flexible payment terms available, we can help you get recertified sooner rather than later, potentially saving you big on insurance premiums. 

National Remedial Services, Your Complete Combustible Cladding Management Solution

National Remedial Services is your complete end-to-end solution for combustible cladding identification and rectification. With many decades of expertise and experience across the consulting, construction, legal and finance sections, we are customer focused and offer best in class performance, pricing, testing, reporting, and lead times.

We offer complete transparency throughout the entire process from your initial building façade assessment through to rectification, recertification and everything in between. With quality reporting outcomes, impressive lead times, affording pricing and competitive financing solutions from ASX listed companies, we provide the expertise and technical know-how to rectify any and all combustible cladding issues to ensure your class 2 residential building is safe and fully compliant.   

Contact the NRS team today for:

  • Building Façade Assessments
  • Core Sample Testing
  • Fire Performance Solution
  • Fire Risk Assessments (FRA)
  • Development of Initial Mitigation Measures
  • Complete Cladding Rectification Solutions
  • Competitive and Flexible Finance Solutions
  • Class Action & Litigation Assistance

Need assistance with council building notices or insurance premiums that increased by multiples?

Whether you need an initial façade assessment, or have had a Fire Risk Assessment and Schedule of Works prepared by another provider, get in touch with National Remedial Services either online or by phone on 0430 370 773 for a ‘no-obligation’ quotation today.

Our dedicated team can help you with your combustible cladding issues at any stage of the process.

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