The destruction caused by bushfires and storms on Australian homes and landscapes is an all too familiar a scenario. Yet, why do we often see one house damaged or destroyed, whilst an apparently similar house on a property close by can survive? Research has shown that many factors affect the chances of a building surviving a disaster. If you are designing landscapes and buildings in bushfire or cyclone/storm-prone areas you need to be aware of these factors so that the chances of losses to life and property can be minimized.
AFAC encourages design for bushfires and cyclone/storms to be included as a normal part of designing in bushfire/storm-prone areas, rather than as an alternate solution.
Research in this section examines the behaviour of building materials and design when exposed to natural disasters. It covers both housing and industrial materials and examines some of these issues in the context of residential home planning.
Documents in this area provide guidance on how to better protect your home and property.
Be sure to read more about the publication Landscape and Building Design for Bushfire Areas in the AFAC shop.
Items in Building Design
- Development of a Residential Planning Tool to Minimise House Loss from Bushfire in the Urban Interface - 2008
- Window Protection: NSW Rural Fire Service practice note - October 2007
- External Doors: NSW Rural Fire Service practice note - November 2007
- Fire Tests at the Interface between Timber Decks and Exterior Walls - March 2007
- Transition Arrangements and Planning for Bushfire Protection: NSW Rural Fire Service practice note - March 2007
- Staged Development: NSW Rural Fire Service practice note - July 2007
- Under Flame Fire Test on Timber Decks - February 2007
- Measurements of Moisture Content in Decking Timbers Exposed to Bushfire Weather Conditions - December 2007
- Research into the Performance of Water Tanks in Bushfires - December 2007
- Fences and Gates: NSW Rural Fire Service practice note - December 2007
- Fire Retardant Timbers: NSW Rural Fire Service practice note - December 2007
- Fire Retardant Garden Plants for Urban and Rural Areas - 2007
- Performance of Steel Power Poles - May 2006
- Investigation of the Performance of Steel Power Pole Systems in Bushfires - May 2006
- Window and Glazing Exposure to Laboratory-simulated Bushfires - May 2006
- Assesment of Fire-retarded Timber - March 2006
- House Fire Spread: An investigation, Gulgong, NSW - March 2006
- Tanks on Trial for Home Defence - August 2006
- Research and Investigation into the Performance of Residential Boundary Fencing Systems in Bushfires - April 2006
- Measuring Ember Attack on Timber Deck Joist Connections Using the Mass Loss Cone Calorimeter and Methenamine as the Ignition Source - April 2006
- Analysis of the Revised Purposes of the Building Act 2004 - September 2005
- Investigation into the Stringency Provided by the Draft Standard AS 3959 - December 2005
- Report on Building Losses in the Canberra Fires - April 2005
- Improving the Fire Performance of Polystyrene Insulated Panel in New Zealand - April 2004
- Bushfire Impact From a House’s Perspective - 2004
- Property Safety: Judging structural safety - 2003
- Measuring Ember Attack on Decking - 2003
- Cost-effective Domestic Fire Sprinkler Systems - August 2000
