Any qualified designer knows that every one of the SANS that form part of 10400 needs to be considered as a whole. In addition, the new SANS remind designers and builders that other sections are also vitally important when it comes to roof design, including Part A: General principles and requirements Part B: Structural design Part C: Dimensions Part R: Stormwater disposal Part T: Fire protection and Part V: Space heating. For instance, where any roof is to be supported on the wall of a building as described in the relevant section of Part K: Walls, the roof MUST be constructed in accordance with the rules laid out by the relevant SANS (in this case 10400).

General Rules for the Construction of RoofsĪs with most of the National Building Regulations, those that apply to roofs relate to SANS other than the one specific to that particular element. It’s not so much that they’ve changed, but rather that the guidelines are now much more comprehensive and useful. While the legislation changed in 2008, it was only in 2011 that Part L: Roofs was published by the SABS. The South African National Standard for Roofs This last one, though, is open to interpretation as not all roofs incorporate ceilings as such.

Lastly, the General Requirements specify (as they did previously), that the roof should be designed “as part of a roof and ceiling assembly” and should provide “adequate height in any room immediately below such assembly”. In addition, the roof should be “adequately anchored against wind uplift” which was not covered in the previous edition of the regs. Instead of simply being “durable and waterproof”, roofs are expected to be “durable” and should not allow “the penetration of rainwater or any other surface water to its interior”.Īs previously, roofs must “not allow the accumulation of any water” (but not simply rainwater, which was the limit of the old building regulations) “upon its surface”. In simple language, if there is a major wind or some other really horrible weather conditions (God forbid), the roofs of our homes are expected to be able to stay on the house and protect us from the elements without themselves being damaged. When the South African National Building Regulations were updated by the Department of Trade and Industry in May 2008, the General Requirement relating to Roofs was changed to incorporate certain safety elements.įor example, instead of simply having to “resist any forces” to which the roof might be subjected to, the regulations now state that “The roof of any building shall be so designed and constructed that it safely sustains any actions which can reasonably be expected to occur and in such a manner that any local damage (including cracking) or deformation do not compromise its functioning”.

Building Regulations as They Apply to Roofs-Part L

Spacing rafters for metal roof