BRANZ Assurance Services

All BRANZ Appraisals are looked after by the BRANZ Assurance Services team, which includes some of this country’s premier Building Code experts 

The BRANZ Assurance Services team started out in the 1970s with two people and has now grown to a 13-strong team. These days, the team is made of people from a wide range of backgrounds, including councils, manufacturing plants and construction. 

How difficult is it to get a BRANZ Appraisal? 

Achieving and maintaining a BRANZ Appraisal is a comprehensive process that can take anywhere from a few months to a couple of years, depending on the product or system. While it requires dedication, the effort is well worth it. So, why do product owners pursue it?  

The clue is in the complexity of the process. Subjecting a product or system to the rigour of the Appraisals process demonstrates to the world that it’s up to scratch and carries real weight in the marketplace.  

BRANZ is home to some of Aotearoa’s premier experts in various aspects of the Building Code. We pride ourselves in drilling down into the details of a product to make sure it is going to be suitable for New Zealand or Australian consumers. 

BRANZ experts are also familiar with many international testing standards, so if as product has had testing carried out overseas, a BRANZ Appraisal can be the best way to have it recognised without requiring repetitive new testing. 

Testing capabilities 

You only need to look at the enormous new fire testing laboratory that’s recently emerged in the Wellington hills to understand how extraordinary BRANZ’s testing facilities are. When completed later this year, the fire lab will be the largest facility of its kind in the southern hemisphere. 

Added to that, our Structures team also has a new lab, which can carry out two orthogonal directional testing on structures up to three storeys high. Further, our Materials team was at the forefront of developing weathertightness testing for the Building Code and has labs packed with equipment for accelerated ageing and durability testing. 

Breaking the barriers to innovation 

Getting a BRANZ Appraisal for a product or system can be a challenging process, but acquiring one is a stamp of excellence which demonstrates the product is up to standard. 

Independent expertise for our challenging conditions 

The government recently proposed legislative changes to make it faster and easier for building products certified as fit for purpose in ‘trusted’ overseas markets to be introduced here. BRANZ’s view on the suitability of any product for Aotearoa New Zealand’s uniquely challenging environment will always be guided by our science. 

BRANZ agrees that Aotearoa needs more quality, affordable building materials in the market to help reduce costs and delays associated with building a house. However, it’s critical that those materials are safe, resilient and fit for purpose given the unique challenges we face from our climate, high UV levels and earthquakes. 

BRANZ’s scientists, technicians and product auditors draw on their extensive materials-testing expertise to assess a wide range of building products. They work in world-class testing facilities that can replicate, accelerate or exceed the conditions that Kiwi houses can expect to face during their lifetime. 

Among their responsibilities, BRANZ experts assess certifications and evidence from overseas tests against Aotearoa’s regulatory requirements and environment. This ensures products will meet our current building standards and perform as they’re supposed to. 

BRANZ does not set Aotearoa’s building standards or approve products for use here. Those are responsibilities of the regulator and building consent authorities. Instead, BRANZ’s independent team works with product manufacturers, importers and authorities to provide robust scientific evidence of whether new materials will be safe and durable if used in Aotearoa’s buildings. 

---

This article was first published in BRANZ’s Build 204 magazine. www.buildmagazine.co.nz. Words and video supplied by BRANZ.