AS 3959:2018

AS 3959, 4th – Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas

AS 3959 specifies requirements for the construction of buildings in bushfire-prone

areas in order to improve their resistance to bushfire attack from burning embers, radiant

heat, flame contact and combinations of the three attack forms.

Although this Standard is designed to improve the performance of buildings when subjected

to bushfire attack in designated bushfire-prone areas there can be no guarantee that a

building will survive a bushfire event on every occasion. This is substantially due to the

unpredictable nature and behaviour of fire and extreme weather conditions.

This Standard does not provide any requirements for fencing and screen walls. Fencing and

screen walls may reduce exposure of a building to embers, radiant heat and flame contact

from the bushfire front and from other potential fire sources such as adjacent buildings. The

efficacy of fencing and walls depends on its resistance to ember, radiant heat and flame

attack and potential for ignition and subsequent sustained flaming, height and structural

design and specific site configurations. Therefore no specific advice has been provided in

this Standard but designers may consider utilizing fencing and walls to improve house

survivability beyond the base levels provided in this Standard.

NOTES:

1 The construction measures contained in this Standard apply to any building class and are not

the only measures that can be considered to address bushfire attack as there are other means

available that are outside the scope of this Standard.

2 This Standard does not address the infiltration of smoke nor any associated health and safety

risk. The combustion of materials and coatings during a bushfire may present a health and

safety risk. Selection of external materials should be considered in relation to potential health

and safety risk in a bushfire.

3 The vulnerability of a building is also affected by building design and maintenance. The

provision of water, access and landscaping is also important but falls outside the scope of this

Standard. The overall survivability of a building is dependent on a combination of these

measures in achieving improved safety.

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