Unintended Consequences of Performance-Based Building Code Amendment in New Zealand

Abstract

New Zealand building codes are often amended to ensure a resilient built environment. The changes in the building code have unintentionally affected the application and use of the amendments in the building code. The purpose of this study is to investigate the unintended consequences of building code amendments in New Zealand and make adequate recommendations for improvement. The view of relevant building code users in the building code regulatory system on the negative consequences of building code amendments was analyzed in this study. In total, the study examined 116 responses from a questionnaire survey to explore the understanding of building code users on the unintended impacts of building code amendments. Findings from the study showed that a high proportion of respondents strongly believed in the need to ameliorate the unintended side effects of building code amendments with an emphasis on proactive training, bureaucracy in the design approval process, shortage of technical staff, and increased code technical complexity, which demonstrated the usefulness of the research. Based on the findings from the study, it is evident that providing satisfactory technical guidelines and reducing regulatory deficiencies among the building code authorities will help to reduce the negative impacts of building code amendments in New Zealand. The study concludes by stressing the significant impacts of unintended consequences of amending the building code and emphasized the importance of informing policy regulators on the need to improve the identified consequences of building code amendments.