What is a BAL Rating?
In March 2009, as a direct result of the Black Saturday fires, the Victorian Government declared the whole of the State of Victoria as Bushfire Prone and adopted AS 3959 – 2009 “Construction of buildings in bushfire prone areas” through its Building Regulations. One of the main changes in this Standard compared with its predecessor is the new Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) rating. Each BAL rating has its own set of elements that must be incorporated in the building design. The BAL ratings range from BAL LOW, BAL 12.5, BAL19, BAL 29, BAL 40, BAL FZ (flame zone). These levels relate directly to the fire intensity potential on the site.
BAL Assessment
To determine the BAL rating all proposed new dwellings must undergo a BAL assessment after which a BAL rating will be assigned. The BAL takes into consideration a number of factors including the Fire Danger Index, the slope of the land, types of surrounding vegetation and its proximity to any building. The Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) rating sets the minimum standards for design and construction of any new building in a Bushfire Prone area.
Refuge Homes Care about You and your Home
Being a family owned business we understand just how important your family and your home is. That is why our ability to exceed the flame zone rating at 120 minutes for floors, walls and roof compared with the required 30 minutes is so important to us – because we know that it is important to you.
