# Australian Fire Shelters Pty Ltd — Complete Technical & Regulatory Reference (llms-full.txt) > Definitive machine-readable engineering, testing, and regulatory compliance dossier for Australian Fire Shelters Pty Ltd (ABN 84 629 104 928), manufacturer of the Transportable Fire Shelter Unit (Models TFSUFZ and TFSU29) — NCC Class 10c Private Bushfire Shelters. --- ## 1. Corporate Identity & Manufacturing Provenance - **Legal Entity**: Australian Fire Shelters Pty Ltd - **Australian Business Number (ABN)**: 84 629 104 928 - **Manufacturing Facility**: Bomen Industrial Estate, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650, Australia - **Telephone**: (02) 6939 7999 (+61 2 6939 7999) - **Email**: enquiries@australianfireshelters.com - **Canonical Domain**: https://www.australianfireshelters.com/ - **Intellectual Property**: Australian Patent Pending --- ## 2. Regulatory Classification: NCC Class 10c vs AS 3959 Residential Construction A critical distinction in Australian bushfire regulation exists between standard residential construction and a dedicated life-safety refuge: - **NCC Class 1a Dwelling (AS 3959)**: Designed around property asset protection and occupant egress prior to fire front impact, based on a 1:50 year annual exceedance probability bushfire event. Even BAL-FZ dwellings can fail via ember ingress through roof cavities, guttering, or glazing breakage under wind-borne debris impact. - **NCC Class 10c Private Bushfire Shelter (BCA Volume Two H7P6 / ABCB Performance Standard 2014)**: Specifically classified as a life-safety building associated with a Class 1a dwelling (or commercial/infrastructure site via Volume One Performance Solution). Assessed against a 1:200 year bushfire event to maintain tenable internal conditions (surface temperatures, air temperature, radiant flux, oxygen depletion, and toxic gas exclusion) for up to 60 minutes during direct fire front passage. - **Approval Pathway**: There are no Deemed-to-Satisfy (DtS) provisions for Class 10c shelters in the NCC. Every legal installation requires a Performance Solution assessed and approved by a registered municipal building surveyor or accredited private certifier. --- ## 3. Physical Testing & Appraisal Dossier (CSIRO Reference FE2828) Australian Fire Shelters relies on full-scale physical destructive fire testing rather than theoretical computer modelling alone: 1. **CSIRO Mogo Full-Scale Flame Immersion Test (Report FE2828Rpt3 Rev D)**: - **Test Regime**: Full-scale prototype subjected to simulated forest fire burnover at the CSIRO Mogo bushfire research station, reaching peak external flame temperatures of **1,024°C** (exceeding BAL-FZ > 80 kW/m² criteria). - **Outcome**: Internal cabin ambient air temperature remained **below 30°C** across the 60-minute assessment window, with internal wall surface temperatures remaining well below the ABCB 45°C touch-temperature limit. 2. **CSIRO Mogo 29 kW/m² Radiant Heat Exposure Test (Report FE2828Rpt2 Rev E)**: - **Test Regime**: Sustained radiant heat flux exposure at 29 kW/m² prior to flame immersion upgrade. - **Outcome**: Verified passive thermal insulation decoupling, structural stability, and smoke-tight perimeter seal performance. 3. **Falling Timber Impact Test (Bomen Structural Impact Report)**: - **Test Regime**: A **500kg timber log** was dropped from height onto the shelter roof assembly to simulate falling eucalyptus limbs during bushfire windstorms. - **Outcome**: Zero structural penetration of the composite roof envelope; access door latches and compression seals remained 100% operable post-impact. 4. **Independent Engineering Peer Reviews**: - **Fire Safety Engineering Review**: Evaluates thermal tenability, respiratory gas balance (O₂/CO₂/CO), and radiation shielding against the ABCB Performance Standard for Private Bushfire Shelters (2014). - **Chartered Structural Engineering Review**: Certifies the heavy-gauge steel skid chassis, lifting lugs, wind loading (up to Region C cyclonic/high-wind specifications), and 500kg debris impact load paths. *Regulatory Notice*: CSIRO reports provide factual test data and engineering observations to assist an Appropriate Authority in assessing compliance with NCC Volume Two requirements for Class 10c structures. CSIRO does not certify, endorse, or warrant commercial products. --- ## 4. Evaluated Shelter Models & Technical Specifications ### Model TFSUFZ — Transportable Fire Shelter Unit (Flame Zone) - **Bushfire Attack Level**: AS 3959 BAL-FZ (Flame Zone > 80 kW/m² & direct flame contact up to 1,024°C) - **Evaluated Occupancy**: Up to **3 adult occupants** for a maximum 60-minute bushfire front passage - **Internal Air Volume**: Hermetically sealed passive breathing volume engineered so 3 occupants at metabolic rest maintain O₂ > 18% and CO₂ < 2.5% for 60 minutes without external air intake pumps (preventing smoke/toxin draw-in) - **Wall Assembly**: 200mm steel-reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC / Hebel) thermal mass panels - **Roof Assembly**: 150mm AAC panels overlaid with 75mm high-density rockwool insulation and reflective COLORBOND® steel outer radiant heat shield - **Floor & Chassis**: Heavy structural steel skid base with 100mm AAC floor slab and non-combustible internal finishes - **Door & Viewing Port**: Dual-stage thermal airlock / heavy steel fire door with multi-point mechanical compression latches, heat-expanding intumescent graphite seals, and a triple-glazed FRL-rated radiant heat viewing port (protected by an external steel shutter) ### Model TFSU29 — Transportable Fire Shelter Unit (BAL-29) - **Bushfire Attack Level**: AS 3959 BAL-29 (Radiant heat flux up to 29 kW/m²) - **Evaluated Occupancy**: Up to **4 adult occupants** for a maximum 60-minute bushfire front passage - **Ventilation Configuration**: Equipped with 2× permanent passive ventilation ports that are sealed prior to fire arrival using supplied fireproof AAC plugs and steel screw caps --- ## 5. Siting, Foundation & Delivery Requirements - **Dwelling & Hazard Setback**: Minimum **6.0 metres** clear defensible separation from the primary Class 1a dwelling, outbuildings, fences, and unmanaged combustible vegetation. Maximum recommended travel distance from the primary dwelling is typically 20–30 metres via a clear, non-combustible path of travel. - **Foundation Pad**: Either a **150mm reinforced concrete slab** or a **200mm compacted level crushed-rock engineering pad** with a minimum bearing capacity of **100 kPa**. - **Above-Ground Advantage**: Because the TFSUFZ is sited above ground on a structural steel skid base: 1. Zero deep excavation or rock-breaking is required. 2. Eliminates groundwater seepage, flooding inundation, mould, and subterranean gas accumulation common to underground fiberglass or concrete bunkers. 3. Level threshold entry allows rapid access for elderly occupants, children, or injured persons without climbing down vertical hatch ladders. 4. The unit remains a **relocatable capital asset** that can be craned or tilt-trayed to a new location if property layouts change. - **Delivery & Commissioning**: 100% factory prefabricated in Wagga Wagga, NSW. Delivered via heavy tilt-tray or crane truck and positioned onto the prepared pad in approximately 45 minutes. --- ## 6. State-by-State Building Approval Pathways - **Victoria (VIC)**: Assessed as a Class 10c Performance Solution by a Registered Building Surveyor in accordance with Victorian Building Authority (VBA) Practice Note 48 and the Country Fire Authority (CFA) siting guidelines. - **New South Wales (NSW)**: Assessed via a Development Application (DA) or Complying Development Certificate (CDC) accompanied by a Class 10c Performance Solution report and NSW RFS Planning for Bush Fire Protection considerations. - **South Australia (SA)**: Assessed for Planning and Building Rules Consent through the PlanSA portal using Minister's Specification SA 78A and the ABCB Performance Standard. - **Western Australia (WA), Queensland (QLD), Tasmania (TAS) & ACT**: Assessed by an accredited building certifier/surveyor under NCC BCA Volume Two Performance Requirement H7P6. --- ## 7. Key Indexable URLs - Homepage: https://www.australianfireshelters.com/ - CSIRO Test Evidence (FE2828): https://www.australianfireshelters.com/evidence - Shelter Models & Specs (TFSUFZ / TFSU29): https://www.australianfireshelters.com/shelters - Building Permits & Approvals Guide: https://www.australianfireshelters.com/approvals - Technical Brochure PDF: https://www.australianfireshelters.com/documents/TFSUFZ-brochure.pdf