Building in Bushfire Areas

Hebel^® and the new residential building standard

The introduction of Australian Standard AS 3959 – 2009 – Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas presents new challenges to building designers, builders and homeowners when making the important decision on building materials – particularly for external walls.

Hebel^® PowerBlocks and panels are non-combustible and have been tested at CSIRO to achieve excellent fire ratings.  Also known as Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) this unique material delivers the right balance between  insulation and thermal mass and even under extreme heat, it will not explode.

All of Hebel’s solid and lightweight framed systems meet or exceed the requirements in all of the new 6 Bushfire Attack Levels (BAL) including BAL- FZ (Flamezone) for External Walls, Floors, Subfloor Supports, Decks and Verandahs.

With its excellent fire properties, combined with exceptional thermal and acoustic performance, Hebel^® is seen by a growing number of builders and designers as a superior construction method than the traditional alternatives.

Hebel^® PowerBlock™ homes provide frameless loadbearing walls and when constructed in accordance with the masonry code and Hebel’s PowerBlock™ Design and Installation guides, comply with all 6 BAL requirements with a Fire Resistance Level (FRL) of 240/240/240 – far higher than the standards require. Hebel® PowerWall™ – which uses 75mm Hebel^® steel-reinforced panels on a framed construction achieves an FRL of 240/180/180 – still exceeding the requirements even of BAL-FZ.

Useful Links:

Download the Brochure:

Designed for compliance in all Bushfire Attack Levels

View videos about Hebel Systems:

Hebel Systems Overview

Building With Hebel Blocks

Testimonials

Media Release March 2009:

Hebel^® Meets New Victorian Building Standard

Media Release September 2009

CSR Building Products takes a stand on bush fire shelters

How Hebel^® complies to AS 3959 -2009:

AS3959 Compliance

CSIRO Test Certificates:

PowerBlock™ Walls

PowerWall™

150mm Floor Panels

200mm Floor Panels

PowerFloor™

Vic Building Commission Guide:

A Guide to Building in Victoria after the Bushfires

Standards Australia:

New guidelines for building in bushfire-prone areas

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