What is Compliance?
At Ekodeck we’re proud to say that all Ekodeck decking is fully compliant with Australian Standards, the National Construction Code (NCC), and the Building Code of Australia (BCA).
But what does that actually mean?
If you’re undertaking a building or construction project, you want to ensure that the materials used are structurally sound, safe and will perform how they have been stated to perform.
With the number of different composite decking products on the market in Australia, it is essential to make sure that the composite decking material you choose is compliant for use in Australia.
When we refer to compliance, we’re talking about the National Construction Code (NCC), which lays out the “minimum required level for the safety, health, amenity, accessibility and sustainability of certain buildings“.
Compared to the more traditional building materials (timber, steel or concrete), composite products are a relatively new material, and so the responsibility falls on the whole supply chain to make sure that the building material is compliant.
Who is responsible for compliance?
Everyone in the supply chain is responsible to ensure that the chosen building material is compliant with the NCC.
This includes the manufacturers, suppliers, installers, builders, architects and engineers involved with the ordering, supply, installation or design of any deck using a wood-plastic composite (WPC) decking product.
Anyone involved in the chain of responsibility may risk receiving significant penalties if a non-compliant product is used, whether there is a failure of the product or not.
Why is compliance so important?
Compliance with the NCC is essential to ensure safety, quality, and sustainability in the Australian construction industry. It also helps meet legal requirements and reduces risks and liabilities associated with construction projects.
The current NCC does not include a section explicitly relating to composite decking products, so they are considered non-standard building products in regards to the NCC.
The Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) have recently released an industry-leading fact sheet on the compliance of wood-plastic composite decking boards, which outlines the requirements for all WPC products to be considered compliant.
Suppliers of WPC decking boards and any non-standard building materials must provide evidence of certain tests and certificates to demonstrate that their products are compliant to NCC standards.
Is the composite decking I’ve chosen compliant?
With so many WPC decking products on the market, it can be hard to determine which composite decking products are compliant.
If you are unsure of a product’s compliance, ask the supplier to provide documents to demonstrate that their products comply with the National Construction Code.
Construction documentation should include things such as NCC Performance Requirements, the need to support the use of WPC decking boards through the performance solution requirements of NCC 2022, Part A2G2 and the preparation of a performance-based design brief and formulation of the performance solution.
The structural performance of the boards should also be signed off by a registered professional engineer to be considered compliant in Australia.
All Ekodeck decking boards are fully compliant with the NCC and are engineered specifically for Australian conditions, in both residential and commercial applications.
Ekodeck’s compliance with the NCC
At Ekodeck, we have a rigorous ongoing testing and compliance schedule for our decking boards that has been in place for many years.
This makes sure that we always have up-to-date testing reports and certificates available, that our quality assurance is second to none and that our decking is always compliant to the highest standards.
Our engineering evaluation certificates have been signed off by a registered engineer and are available for download on our website here.
If you require performance-based design briefs and performance solution reports for any of our decking boards, please get in touch with us at [email protected].
If you have anymore questions about compliance, you can get in touch with us.
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