Across the country, the construction industry is booming. Incredible growth across the commercial and multi-residential sectors has driven construction levels and values to an all time high, prompting a renewed sense of competition and creativity that has breathed new life into the built environment professions. Though the industry’s expansion has brought about significant opportunities, it has also posed a host of new challenges.
In the face of short project timelines and the large volume of tenders, builders are now more than ever pursuing a cost-oriented bottom line, and often ordering the cheapest option on the market. Although this may result in an initial cost saving at the installation stage, it inevitably causes a raft of issues down the track. Cheap products rapidly deteriorate after installation, with a combination of poor quality and inadequate testing and compliance meaning that many cheaper products fail within 2 to 5 years of installation. Coupled with limited provision of service and support, this makes maintenance and repairs unnecessarily complex.
The above applies across the board, and is an unfortunate truth in all product sub-sectors including fire protection, where inferior products can have disastrous results. As the number of recent residential tower fires around the world have demonstrated, fire protection is simply not an area in which builders and designers can afford to sacrifice quality in favour of cost.
Understanding the difference between non-compliant and non-conforming
When it comes to performance, discussion is often centred on two terms.
Non-compliant products are those that fail to meet contractual or regulatory requirements such as those found in the National Construction Code (NCC).
Non-conforming products are more common, and fall into a number of classes. A product can be described as “non-conforming” if it fails to meet Australian regulatory standards, is marketed using false or misleading claims, is not fit for purpose, is of unacceptable quality, or is counterfeit.
The scope of the term “non-conforming” means that it may be difficult for builders to determine whether their product is in fact fit for purpose or of acceptable quality. As such, it is advised that builders and designers employ best practice and specify products based on their proven performance, and not on cost alone.
Greene Fire fire curtains ensure product compliance and ongoing durability/serviceability
With nearly twenty years’ experience in the Australian passive fire protection market, Greene Fire are well aware of the stringent Australian fire regulations. Bringing design and manufacturing under the same roof, Greene Fire provides a comprehensive – and competitively priced – range of fire curtains that exceeds the national regulatory standards and requirements of the NCC.
Greene Fire fire curtains are engineered and fully tested to comply with all relevant standards, such as AS1530.4 and AS1530.7, with a broad product catalogue ensuring a fit for purpose solution for every fire protection need. In-house manufacturing ensures consistent, reliable high quality and short lead times, all of which are paired with innovative technology and a contemporary design aesthetic. All Greene Fire products are accompanied by detailed performance results and offer unique architectural benefits that are simply without competition. The company’s fire curtains are designed for maximum ease of operation, and feature operable access panels and grouped control panels for ease of servicing.
Bolstering their wide product offering is Greene Fire’s team of experienced, knowledgeable experts with specialist understanding of the Australian market and regulatory landscape. By specifying Greene Fire fire curtains, architects and builders can rest assured that they are not only choosing a lasting, fit for purpose solution, but also that they will be supported by post-installation service and troubleshooting.
Learn more about Greene Fire’s range of fully compliant products and suite of customer service offerings at http://greenefire.com.au/.
