Standards New Zealand update
The information in this update is reproduced courtesy of Standards New Zealand - www.standards.co.nz 
New publications
Building - including plumbing, gas and building services
AS/NZS 1260: 2009
PVC-U pipes and fittings for drain, waste and vent application
Specifies requirements for PVC-U pipes and fittings for sewer, drain, waste and vent applications above ground or below ground and is intended to be used where the pipeline is operating under gravity flow and the operating pressure is low.
The Standard includes requirements for both plain and structured wall pipes and fittings. Pipes manufactured to this Standard should be used and installed in accordance with AS/NZS 2032, AS/NZS 2566.1, AS/NZS 2566.2, AS/NZS 3500.2, AS/NZS 3500.5, WSA 02 and WSA 06.
Supersedes AS/NZS 1260: 2002
AS/NZS 4130: 2009
Polyethylene (PE) pipes for pressure applications
Specifies requirements for polyethylene pipes for the conveyance of fluids under pressure. Such fluids include, but are not restricted to, water, wastewater, slurries, compressed air, and fuel gas. Fuel gas includes natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the vapour phase and LPG/air mixtures.
Gas pipes are not intended for service temperatures outside of the range -20°C to +35°C. Pipes that do not contain carbon black, in compliance with this Standard, are not intended for extended exposure in direct sunlight.
Supersedes AS/NZS 4130: 2003
NZS 3106: 2009
Design of concrete structures for the storage of liquids
Specifies design information that meets the requirements of the New Zealand Building Code and is intended to be used by engineers and others involved in new storage tank projects. It provides a basis for designing concrete structures for the storage of liquids that will require only limited periodic maintenance to remain serviceable for their design life, and will not allow an uncontrolled, rapid loss of the liquid contents in extreme events such as a major earthquake.
Supersedes NZS 3106: 1986 which remains current until further notice.
NZS 4218: 2009
Thermal insulation - Housing and small buildings
Specifies the thermal insulation requirements for housing and small buildings. It provides three methods for demonstrating compliance with the New Zealand Building Code: Schedule, Calculation and Modelling methods. It guides the achievement of minimum thermal resistance through balancing solar gains from glazing, insulation, and thermal mass, in order to significantly reduce the energy requirements to heat and cool buildings.
Supersedes NZS 4218: 2004 which remains current until further notice.
Fire protection
NZS 4514: 2009
Interconnected smoke alarms for houses
Specifies requirements for the installation and commissioning of externally-powered interconnected smoke alarms. It also provides information on the selection, installation, and maintenance of smoke alarms. Additional guidance has been provided for the selection of smoke alarms, and their location to avoid nuisance activations.
Supersedes NZS 4514: 2002 as of 29 July 2009.
Occupational safety
AS/NZS 2243
Safety in laboratories
AS/NZS 2243.9: 2009
Recirculating fume cabinets Specifies safety requirements and gives recommendations for the design, manufacture, use and maintenance of recirculating fume cabinets, sometimes incorrectly referred to as 'ductless fume cupboards', and the test methods to determine their performance.
Supersedes AS/NZS 2243.9: 2003.
New amendments
Building - including plumbing, gas and building services
Amendment 2 to AS/NZS 2033: 2008
Installation of polyethylene pipe systems
Applies to Tables 9.1 and 9.2.
Fire protection
Amendment 1 to NZS 4541: 2007
Automatic fire sprinkler systems A correction amendment to fix a small number of editorial errors in the Standard.
Standards WITHDRAWN
Building - including plumbing, gas and building services
AS/NZS 1260: 2002
PVC-U pipes and fittings for drain, waste and vent application
Superseded by AS/NZS 1260: 2009.
AS/NZS 4130: 2003
Polyethylene (PE) pipes for pressure applications
Superseded by AS/NZS 4130: 2009.
Occupational safety
AS/NZS 2243
Safety in laboratories
AS/NZS 2243.9: 2003 Recirculating fume cabinets
Superseded by AS/NZS 2243.9: 2009.
Draft Standards for comment
- Free to download from the Standards New Zealand website: www.standards.co.nz
Building - including plumbing, gas and building services
DZ 3122
Specification for Portland and blended cements (General and special purpose)
The aim of NZS 3122 is to specify requirements and methods for testing hydraulic cements consisting of Portland cement, or of mixtures of Portland cement and one or both of fly ash and ground granulated iron blast-furnace slag. The outcome is to ensure that the end user of the Standard benefits from being up to date with current technology and in line with current industry methods and practices.
Public comment on this draft closed on 12 August 2009.
DZ 3123
Specification for pozzolan for use with Portland and blended cement
The previous edition of the Standard, NZS 3123: 1974, specified the requirements for blended hydraulic cement comprising Portland cement and a pozzolan of appropriate type and quantity. NZS 3122: 2009 now includes provisions for blended hydraulic cement containing natural pozzolan, superseding the NZS 3123: 1974 provisions for Type PP cement. NZS 3123: 2009 now only includes requirements for pozzolans that may be added directly to concrete or used to manufacture Type GB cement. Together, NZS 3122: 2009 and NZS 3123: 2009 reflect current technology and current industry methods and practices.
Public comment on this draft closed on 12 August 2009.
Fire protection
DZ 4515
Fire sprinkler systems for life safety in sleeping occupancies
Key changes in the draft include:
- clarification to users of the Standard concerning what is and is not a sleeping occupancy, to more clearly differentiate between this Standard and NZS 4517 Fire sprinkler systems for houses
- alignment to NZS 4541: 2007 Automatic Fire Sprinkler Systems, where appropriate
- incorporation of any formal interpretations that have emerged since NZS 4515 was last published in 2003.
The Standard is intended to provide building owners, specifiers, users, manufacturers, suppliers, installers, and maintenance persons with requirements and guidance to assist in the design, construction, and maintenance of a life safety sprinkler system for a building used solely as a sleeping occupancy.
This includes elderly care institutions, guest accommodation, apartment buildings, sleeping areas in hospital wards, and supervised accommodation homes. A sleeping occupancy could also include self-care units in, for example, prisons or other institutions. The purpose is to reduce risk to occupants in the event of a fire by maintaining conditions at a level to facilitate a safe evacuation, and to minimise fire and smoke damage to property.
Public comment on this draft closed on 07 August 2009.
Proposal to withdraw
Fire protection
NZS 9231: 1971
Model bylaw for fire prevention
Proposed for withdrawal without replacement. Comments on this proposal closed on 11 August 2009.
Standards in development
Building - including plumbing, gas and building services
Timber framed buildings
- Committee: P3604
- Project Manager: Mani Taare
- Estimated Publication Date: Late 2010, early 2011
- Comments: The project is in the draft development stage. The organisational structure for the project is a Leadership Group, P3604 Technical committee and there are five workgroups covering Loadings, Durability, Bracing, Roof framing and Design appearance and clarity. Several meetings have now been conducted with the focus being on having the revised draft ready for public comment by November 2009.
Installing insulation - Amendment 1
- Committee: P4246 A1
- Project Manager: Vicki Allison
- Estimated Publication Date: October 2009
- Comments: The committee has met to agree the draft content of the amendment. This was released for public consultation in mid-June
Revision of NZS 3404 Steel structures - Phases 1, 2 and 3
- Committee: P3404
- Project Manager: Jono East
- Estimated Publication Date: To be confirmed
- Comments: The committee is confirming final changes to 3404.1 draft resulting from public comment review. Once all alterations have been agreed, the draft will move to committee ballot.
WS-013 Review of domestic wastewater systems
- Committee: WS-013
- Project Manager: Jono East
- Estimated Publication Date: September/October 2009
- Comments: The committee is revising AS/NZS 1547 draft in light of comments received during the ballot stage.
Water efficient appliances
- Committee: WS-032
- Project Manager: Bruce Taylor
- Estimated Publication Date: No publication
- Comments: Standards New Zealand has been commissioned by the Ministry for the Environment to set up and facilitate an advisory group to coordinate New Zealand's input to a joint Australia/New Zealand Standards committee (WS-032).
This committee is responsible for amendments to the joint Standard (AS/NZS 6400: 2005) on the rating and labelling of water efficient products such as taps, showers and other water-using appliances. The New Zealand advisory group met again on 11 June to discuss progress on Amendment No. 4 to AS/NZS 6400, which takes account of New Zealand's appliances designed for low pressure systems. The group also discussed the introduction of water efficiency labelling regulations in New Zealand in July 2009, and issues around compliance and consumer information requirements.
Amendment 2 to NZS 4229:1999 Concrete masonry buildings not requiring specific engineering design
- Committee: P4229
- Project Manager: Jono East
- Estimated Publication Date: To be confirmed
- Comments: Standards New Zealand is reviving an amendment project which originally commenced in 2006. The project was put on hold until a full revision of NZS 3604 commenced as any changes to the seismic zones in NZS 4229 needed to be considered in conjunction with NZS 3604.
Fire protection
Fire-resistant doorsets and smoke doors adoption
- Committee: P4520
- Project Manager: Jono East
- Estimated Publication Date: 2010
- Comments: P4520 committee has been constituted with the purpose of adopting AS 1905.1: 2005 and AS 6905: 2007 as a new New Zealand Standard (NZS 4520: 20XX). The committee is currently reviewing the initial draft document