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BUILDING STANDARDS Building Code Sectional Committee (Four meetings) Building Code Technical Committee .. ~ .. .. Eleven meetings. Structural Welding Committee .. .. .. .. Two meetings. Fire-prevention Committee .. .. .. .. Ten meetings. Theatre By-law Sub-committee .. .. .. .. Four meetings. Panic Prevention By-law Committee .. .. .. One meeting. Building Gode Conference .. .. .. .. .. One meeting. Housing Improvement Conference .. .. .. .. One meeting. Conference with Sir Reginald E. Stradling .. .. .. One meeting. Parent Committee. —In addition to supervising and reviewing the work carried out under its control, the parent committee examined 5 draft British standards, 1 draft Australian standard, and 28 British standards, and directed the action to be taken to determine the suitability of these for adoption in New Zealand. One of the British standards was recommended for adoption as a New Zealand standard specification. Chimneys.—Good progress was made with the revision of Section IX, Chimneys, of the original Standard Model Building By-law, Sections I-X, published in 1936 by the New Zealand Standards Institution. The original section is in course of complete revision in light of the experience gained since it was issued, and the revised provisions will be issued as a separate part of the Standard Code of Building By-laws. When completed, they will ensure that chimneys will be so designed and constructed as to resist, within practical limits, stresses to which they may be subjected, including those due to earthquake forces ; also to provide insulation adequate to prevent fire risks. .Specific provisions will be included in respect of chimneys built of unit masonry, brickwork, reinforced concrete, precast pumice concrete, and fire-resisting metals. The • code will also establish provisions relating to minimum reinforcement and linings, in . addition to essential dimensions, including those of shafts, breasts, fireplace projections, . chimneys, &c., according to the story height and the number of fireplaces served. Fire Prevention By-law. —During the year a draft standard fire prevention by-law was circulated to interested parties for comment, and the comments received were • considered by the Fire Prevention Committee prehminary to reviewing the draft provisions before they are recommended for issue as a standard specification. When issued, this standard specification will incorporate by-law requirements in respect of the control of fires near and in buildings, the storage of materials in buildings, and the provision of first-aid fire-fighting equipment, in addition to special fire hazards arising from the storage and manufacture of inflammable materials and the carrying-out of high-hazard industrial operations, including those which involve the production of explosive and toxic gases and dusts. In this way the relevant provisions of the Standard Code of Building By-laws will be supplemented so as to furnish local authorities with a complete set of . adequate and up-to-date by-law requirements relating to fire protection and prevention. Steelwork and Masonry Construction. —Two further parts of the Standard Code of Building By-laws dealing with steelwork, and masonry buildings of bearing-wall construction, together with the supplementary code of practice for the workmanship of metal arc welding in building construction, were submitted during the year, first to a conference of City Engineers, and subsequently to the Building Code Sectional Committee, which approved them for issue as New Zealand standard specifications. The issue of these further parts will complete the series of standard codes of practice relating to the main methods of building construction. Theatre By-law. —Further progress has been made with the drafting of the proposed . standard theatre by-law referred to in the last report, and it is hoped that during the -coming year the draft proposals will be circulated to affected interests for comment.

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