Over the past decade, the construction industry has seen technology greatly improve the effectiveness and efficiency of process, particularly in the areas of design and on-site safety. However, as the construction industry constantly improves, there is pressure placed on the compliance sector to “keep up”.
One of the biggest roadblocks being faced by the industry is the fact that implementing new technologies can be a difficult change. However, by investing the appropriate time and energy into setting up the right frameworks, and consistently using them in the right way, business can greatly improve their efficiency.
The ABCB had been working to support businesses in this area by improving the readability and useability of the NCC. I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of this initiative through my involvement of the ABCB’s SME network. By working together to create new education and supporting materials, we hope to help practitioners more easily understand and apply the NCC to the projects they work on every day.
In response to the work that the ABCB and SME Network have been doing, many people have seen the opportunity to create digital and online tools to complement this effort. I myself saw the opportunity to create an online tool that would speed up the process for surveyors, engineers and BCA consultants to extract information from the NCC. Last month, we officially launched BECODE to give people in the compliance sector access to a project specific building code in under a minute.
How it works
Firstly, BECODE’s easy interface let’s you build your building. There is no BIM technology here. Just a straightforward display that allows you to add levels and specify their usage so BECODE can understand how the building will be used. Then we move on to answering some questions about your fire compartments and building features.
Once you’ve submitted your building, BECODE may ask you some more questions for clarification. This helps it narrow down which parts of the code are relevant, and which parts are not. Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll receive your project specific building code.
Once you receive your project-specific building code, its interactive format allows you to check tables and definitions, add or hide clauses, and search for specific details within the code. At the moment, BECODE only accounts for sections C, D and E of Volume 1. However, with more subject matter experts on board, we’re planning on adding the remaining sections in the coming months.
Overall, BECODE allows you to focus on what really matters. By removing the bulk of information that is irrelevant to your project, BECODE allows you to spend more time creating solutions, communicating with clients and organising your business – with next to no set-up time.
Getting set up with BECODE is easy. Simply sign up. All users get an obligation-free, two-week trial to see if it’s the right fit for their business.