Alterations and Additions

The National Building Regulations are not retroactive in their application. This means that if you are adding to or altering a building, you won’t have to ensure that the entire building complies with new regulations that have been imposed since the building was originally erected, unless such changes;
– implicates on the health or safety of persons using the building in the altered form
– will affect the structural strength or stability of the original building
– will render any existing escape route from the original building less effective

Part A of SANS 10400, General Principles and Requirements, deals with alterations and additions.

You will however need to ensure that any new section of building, or section you are applying any changes to, complies to current legislation and regulations. A new addition might be treated as an entirely separate part which can be designed to comply with the National Building Regulations without having any effect on the original portion of the building. In the case of an alteration though, changes to the original structure will most probably be inevitable and it will become necessary to investigate to what extent the existing part of the building should now comply with new National Building Regulations.

The National Building Regulations also requires a competent person to certify in writing, that an existing building is capable of structurally supporting any additional load arising from the erection of an extension to the current structure.

Some of the greatest implications relate to the new energy laws and regulations in the form of SANS 10400X and XA.

These new compulsory requirements for energy efficient buildings presents a complex set of calculations to be done by the architectural professional to ensure compliance. More info on how energy efficiency affect the homeowner in a next posting.