E2/AS3 for Weathertight Concrete and Concrete Masonry Construction

Building a home to take advantage of concrete’s excellent weathertight credentials has become even simpler with a new Acceptable Solution that references the Cement and Concrete Association of New Zealand (CCANZ)’s Code of Practice CCANZ CP 01:2011.

From August 2011 Clause E2 (External Moisture) of the New Zealand Building Code has an Acceptable Solution (E2/AS3) for weathertight concrete and concrete masonry construction that references CCANZ’s Code of Practice for Weathertight Concrete and Concrete Masonry Construction.

The Code of Practice covers the weathertightness of the building envelope for concrete slabs on the ground, concrete walls and associated methods of insulation, concrete flat roofs and decks, and concrete to timber construction junctions.

For further information about this key change to the NZBC External Moisture documents, go to the Department of Building and Housing website.

Copies of this publication can be downloaded from the CCANZ website, requests for hardcopies can be made through CCANZ - admin@ccanz.org.nz

Designing Comfortable Homes - Second Edition

This revised edition, endorsed by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), is a guide to the basic principles of passive solar design as a means to ensure homes stay cool in summer and warm in winter.

The first edition was published in 2001, and since that time it has become a staple of all book collections within architectural and design practices. However, with recent changes to the Energy Efficiency clause of the Building Code, and the development of NZS 4218, it was time to update this resource.

The premise of this book is that homes can be naturally warm in winter and cool in summer – provided appropriate combinations of glass, concrete’s thermal mass and insulation are used.

Passive solar design principles are essential for good home design, and also easy to understand. This book encourages architects, designers, builders and their clients to embrace these simple concepts in order to achieve more comfortable and energy efficient homes.