Building Regulations Part 1
Building Regulations Section 1: Part A to Part H
As there are a total 23 Parts to the SANS 10400 Building Regulations we have divided them into three sections to improve the ease of navigation.
The order in which the different Parts of the regulations are displayed follows the same order as the regulations themselves as they are published.
General Principal and Requirements-Part A
* Design, Planning and Supervision of All Construction Work Must Follow a Legal Process
* What is Covered in Part A: General Principles and Requirements
* Changes to Part A of The application of the National Building Regulations
* All buildings must have a strong, serviceable, stable and durable design-Part B
* The Role of the Regulations in Structural Design
* Structural Design must be in Accordance with National Standards
* Every Room Must be Fit for Purpose-Part C
* What SANS 10400-C Covers
* Definitions
* Dimensions of Plans
* The Height of Rooms
* Floor Areas for Buildings
* Even at Home Public Safety is Paramount-Part D
* Change in Level
* Pedestrian Entrances
* Ramps
* Swimming Pools
* Site Safety during Demolition-Part E
* Demolition of a Building
* Safeguarding Basements
* Prohibition of Dangerous Methods
* Building Regulations that Relate to Site Operations – Part F
* Changes to Part F: Site Operations
* The New Definitions
* Protection of the Public
* Damage to Local Authority’s Property
* Geotechnical Site and Environmental Conditions
* Preparation of Site
* Soil Poisoning
* Control of Unreasonable Levels of Dust and Noise
* Cutting Into, Laying Open and Demolishing Certain Work
* Waste Material on Site
* Cleaning of Site
* Builder’s Sheds
* Sanitary Facilities
* Safety and Stability When Doing Excavations Are Top Priorities – Part G
* The Importance of Stability
* Foundation Excavations
* Regulations for Foundations-Part H
* A Focus on Safety
* How the Building Regulations Have Changed
* How to Ensure Your Foundations Comply With the Regulations
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Hi,
The SANS 10400-L:2011 4.3.4.1 says that waterproofing on a flat concrete roof must be watertight for at least 5 years without maintenance, I am looking for a similar clause in an older building regulations dated 2008/2009, can you please assist as I am struggling to find it?
Regards
Why has the builder not followed the plans? Either the builder must remove the door that is not on the plans, or have the plans altered. It depends who told him to do this. If he did it off his own bat then it will be for his cost.
hi there
a friend of mine is having a free standing house built, on the plans the builder only has one door and this has been passed but now the builder has added a back door as well as a sliding door and none of this has been changed on the plans.
please could someone help and let us know what we can do?
Hi MC, site densities vary from suburb to suburb and from town/city to town/city. This can be on average 60% coverage and also has height limits. So it is not possible to give you a precise figure. The best is to contact your local municipality planning section and ask them
Subject:
Size required to built flats
Message:
I just want to know if there is an minimum size for the plot if you want to built at least 4 to 5 flats.
Thanks
Edgar this is obviously a highly complex legal matter, I honestly can’t comment. Sorry. Maybe someone else has some ideas?
Hi Andre, This is the paragraph that I think you are looking for:
3.11.2 For high voltage cables (1 kV to 11 kV) a coloured plastic marking tape shall be installed 400 mm above the cable. The tape shall be yellow, marked with the words “ELECTRIC CABLE/ELEKTRIESE KABEL” in red. These markings shall not be more than 1m apart from centre to centre. The full document can be downloaded here: download-regulations Scroll down to “General Electrical Specification PartA And PartB”
Subject:
underground electrical cables
Message:
Good evening. Must all underground electrical cables be covered with a warning tape above the actual depth of the cables? For instance the cable is 1.5m underground, should the warning tape be 500mm below the ground surface ?
Regards
Andre van der Westhuizen
Hi Nicholas, If you are on a erf that is higher than his and you have no other way of dealing with the stormwater, then your neighbor must take the runoff from your property. Most by-laws in SA are similar.
Here is a paragraph from the by-law:
14. GENERAL CONDITIONS APPLICABLE TO ALL ERVEN
2. Where, in the opinion of the Council, it is impracticable for stormwater to
be drained from higher lying erven direct to a road, the owner of the
lower lying erf shall be obliged to accept and/or permit the passage over
the erf of such stormwater: Provided that the owners of any higher lying
erven, the stormwater from which is discharged over any lower lying erf,
shall be liable to pay a proportionate share of the cost of any pipe line or
drain which the owner of such lower lying erf may find necessary to lay or
construct for the purpose of conducting the water so discharged over
the erf.
Ask your local building inspector to arbitrate the matter.
Hi
I have a neibour that has built an outside structure right up against my wall at the back of my property. I dont have a problem with the building. The problem is that he has blocked the flow of the storm water that used to run through a vent in that wall which he has now blocked with his building. I have tried to talk to him about this but he tells me it is not his problem. My question is is there any legal way to deal with this because when it now rains my garden becomes a dam.
Thank you
Hi Shivani, You have the right to request the local council to give the reasons why they did not make the developer install a stormwater system. I will be posting an article about the PAJA soon so check back. The law is the THE PROMOTION OF ADMINISTRATIVE JUSTICE ACT, 2000 (ACT 3 OF 2000), PAJA. In the meantime you can visit their website here: justice.gov.za/paja/citizen If you suspect that if there are any corrupt dealings associated with this development then you can also report this.
Hi,
In a case of encroachment, who must be first in taking action to prove that he is right,
1) The Agricultural land belongs 45 years two us
2) When the new developers rezone the next holding, the land surveyor find a 1 meter encroachment from our property into their stand,
3) The boundary was their from the 1950’s.
4) the two party’s is in a very documented, high court struggle,
5) The new developers did mention, they will move our buildings and rebuilt, while they build the new development,
6) But the moment they finish their 33 units,
7) They refuse anything to build for us and we must breakdown the wall on our cost,
8) And stated now that because we knowing of the encroachment for about 2 years,
9) We did not intention to become the owners thereof and no such case is made out
So the question, they keep us busy the whole time with promises, they never insist on the South Africa Encroachment law, but we did tell them in the beginning there is law’s, and regulations for this matter.
Who is responsible to take first action?
Thank you
Hi. We bought into a new development about a year ago. The properties are situated below road level and do not have proper storm water drains in place. 3 months after transfer there was a major flooding and the developer was notified of the lack of proper storm water drains that resulted in the flooding of some of the homes, and did nothing about it. He simply said that it was the “Body corporates” responsibility. 5 months later, another flash flood and this time there was damage to the interior of the 2 houses due to the lack of storm water drains.
A couple of months ago, another owner had to call in a contractor to help “underpin” part of his foundation due to problems caused by the adjacent incomplete houses of the development due to lack of storm water drains.
The developer is now back to complete his development neither accepting any responsibility for the damage caused, nor wanting to install the proper storm water drains, despite the development not being complete.
Kindly advise what we as a body corporate can do. Thanks
Lorna that sounds as if there is a very high water table. An engineer will advise on what special steps would need to be taken if building. The problem is largely with the foundations. Also if there is heavy rain, the water will rise and you may well have rising damp problems.
thanku Penny there is another thing worrying me the land has brakish water underneath it about a metre deep.can one stil build on that kind of land. regards Lorna
Lorna you will need planning permission relating to zoning, and you will need approved plans for all construction work. This must be done by a competent person who will need to oversee all building work. For the rest, you must comply with the National Building Regulations throughout.
if wanting 2 build a village in an existing community what are the requirements
There is an article about “temporary buildings” and the NBR HERE. Perhaps that will answer your question.
Hi I have leased a piece of land of an owner who’s farm is zoned agricultural / Mining. I have signed a lease with him and have had consent from him to run a riding school.
We on a farm 563 in the caledon/overberg district.
As part of the lease I am to build removable housing for the horses and myself so as when I leave I am to vacate the land of the buildings.
What is required as far as submitting plans etc to the municipality under these circumstances.
Regards
Sarah Milton
The SANBS should be able to tell you. I cannot believe how often councils “lose” plans. It’s shocking. Alternatively you could do a search at the deeds office to see who previous owners were. There may even be plans lodged with the title deeds.
John parking is not covered by the National Building Regulations. Parking and loading is “governed” by the local authority. You can download the Consolidated Johannesburg Town Planning Scheme, 2011 from this web site. I have given you the link. Part VI which starts on Page 52 of this document deals with Parking and Loading.
If you need further clarification you will need to contact the City of Johannesburg.
There is a pdf that you can also download from this site HERE – that has the contact numbers of all the local authorities. Rustenburg probably has its own office, I haven’t checked.
Hi there,
My apologies as I honestly have no idea under what page to paste this.
I live in Rustenburg and would like to know what regulations cover the minimum amount of parking bays the must be provided at a school sports field. A local school is purchasing a vancant piece of property to build a rugby/hockey field with two netball fields. I have seen the plans and they have made no provision for parking and the vacant property is not large enough for parking should they build what they want. I just want to understand what is required by law otherwise with sports days and practices we will have a lot of parents parked all over the neighborhood.
Thanks
Hi
On this porperty there is a building currently owned by the SANBS. I would like to know who the builder and/or architect and or structural engineers were.
The city council lost the plans, is there any other way I can obtain this information?
Hi Carla,
The regulation that you are asking about is SANS 10400 Part-C, you can read what we say here: size-dimensions-room-height A parking garage is classed in SANS 10400 Part-A as a J4 occupancy (Occupancy used for storing or parking of more than 10 motor vehicles). The Part-C does not refer specifically to J4 occupancy but rather uses this as a rule-of-thumb clause: “4.3.2 Notwithstanding the requirements contained in table 2, where any structural member projects below the level of the ceiling or, where there is no ceiling, below the level of the roof covering, the height of such projection shall be not less than 2,1 m”
To whom it may concern,
I cannot find the prescribed minimum height for a retail parking garage? And in which section is it?
Please help.
Regards
Carla