While the practicality and aesthetics of an outside structure are always important, the ability for a structure to withstand the elements is also a vital consideration. In some areas of Australia, this means taking fire into account.
With a house and 20-acre property adjoining a National Park, that’s exactly the challenge facing these homeowners in Warrandyte. They wanted a 3-car carport with attached brick storage shed and fire shelter to be erected at their property, and it needed to satisfy stringent building regulations for the area and, more importantly, help the home’s occupants survive in the event of a bushfire.
To satisfy requirements, the structure was built using brick piers and infill walls, and a metal C-section roofing frame. To match the house, zincalume corrugated roofing, was used for the roofing material. The materials and design easily satisfied the building regulations for bushfire prone areas. A further challenge was provided by the large Dutch gable roof, which needed to be tied down securely to ensure there were no wind uplift issues. To achieve this, each of the 8 brick piers were steel reinforced to the foundations and concrete filled. The reinforced rods were then bolted to the C-section roof frame to complete the anchor.
The project was carried out by one of our Victoria Branches, who also laid the concrete for the carport, the storage shed and the fire shelter. They also organised the building and planning permits for the owners, and even took care of the Builders Warranty Insurance.
The structure was completed several months before Victoria’s most recent bushfire season. While there were some fires in the area over the summer, thankfully the structure’s fire shelter wasn’t required by the occupants.
Find out about Outside Concepts’ 10-year structural warranty. Call us on 1800 601 674.
