Australia’s building defects library

It’s a booklet in downloadable PDF form with text and images describing around 40 of the most common defects building inspectors find in five categories: fire safety; waterproofing; structure; building envelope; and building services (gas, plumbing and electric). It pertains to apartment buildings, dormitory-style buildings and residential care homes.

It aims to standardise the words used to describe defects because, until now, inspectors have been free to describe defects as they saw fit, which leads to differing interpretations in the construction supply chain until, by a process of Chinese whispers, no one can be sure what exactly the defects are.

Difficult communication

“If we’re talking about the same thing, let’s use the same words,” Matt Press, acting building commissioner, told CM*.

He said a common “taxonomy” of building defects was needed because there were so many ways to describe a defect that communicating with industry about the most common ones was difficult.

“We could say the number one defect is waterproofing, which is fascinating, but to be meaningful to the supply chain, you need to go down to a granular level about what we’re talking about. Are we talking about interior, or exterior, bathrooms, particular walling systems, roofs, moisture management? We need
to be specific.”

The problem is made worse by the complex nature of building codes. Australia has a National Construction Code giving performance criteria and deemed-to-satisfy criteria. The code then refers to the title of the relevant set of Australia/New Zealand standards, but does not reproduce them. To complicate matters further, New South Wales has around 100 of its own variations on the national code.

A user-friendly rule book

“Before, the rules existed in different places, and no one goes to the sources to check. If you asked someone on a building site when they last read an Australian standard, you’d get a pretty blank look,” Press said, adding that the library is a “user-friendly rule book”.

“We’re able to present the top defects with the code and standards hierarchy brought together on a single page,” he added.

“It means we can say to a building surveyor, how about you use this type of language to describe defects in your inspections? For their part, builders can use the library to prepare for inspections. It’s useful for them to know the 40 or so defects we as the regulator see 80% or 90% of the time, so they can avoid those pitfalls.”

He said that developers, contractors, certifiers, inspectors, designers and engineers will all find the library useful.

The commission launched the library in the second quarter of 2024. It is meant for building inspectors and certifiers to use first, because the construction supply chain tends to adopt the language they use.

The next link in the transmission chain would be main contractors, which naturally have an interest in the work being done for them all down the subcontracting chain to the people holding the tools.

Press said it can take people some time to understand what the library and its purpose are, but that the penny drops quickly when they see it. The commission has promoted it in education sessions with developers, councils and consultants. He said take-up has been good, and two universities now teach it.

Sloppy language

Press said the commission wants to use the knowledge it has about defects to improve the industry’s productivity, which has long been low compared to other sectors.

Its fragmented and siloed nature is a contributing factor that sloppy language can exacerbate.

The small size of companies building in New South Wales is also a factor, with some 80% of firms doing high-rise construction in the state comprising fewer than 10 people.

“We’re not talking about big corporates that have heavy investments in internal learning, systems and processes, so the more we can do to help beyond landing on a project and finding a defect, the better,” he said.

Press said the library will only be doing its job if it evolves, because it will show the industry is improving.

“It highlights where we’re taking our eye off the ball today, refocusing people’s attention on the mistakes that are creating the most damage,” he said.

“Then in six months’ time, maybe a third of the top defects are new, because some issues we’ve cracked and we’ve got that embedded in practices and behaviour, so we take them off the list and here are the new ones where people are making mistakes, which could relate to new requirements, like electric vehicle charging installations, or new facade systems.”

“If it records the same defects year after year, we might as well shut up shop and go home,” he said.

* Matt Press spoke to CM in his capacity as acting building commissioner. Subsequently, James Sherrard assumed the role of permanent building commissioner on 5 December.