Evolution of regulations in building matters. From the NBE to the C.T.E

Basic Building Regulations. NBE CPI 96 and NBE CT 79

Through the Royal Decree 1650 published on June 10, 1977, the Basic Building Regulations were established to define the necessary rules and mandatory compliance for their correct application in projects and the execution of buildings, in defense of people's safety and the protection of society's economy. Particularly relevant were the N.B.E. CT -79. "Thermal Conditions of Buildings" and the N.B.E. CPI-96 "Protection Conditions Against Fires". This last one establishes the conditions that construction materials must meet regarding their fire resistance as well as the evacuation routes provided in the project. The CT-79 standard set the requirements regarding insulation and the thermal resistance of the materials that form the exterior envelope of a building, in order to reduce its energy consumption.

Since its entry into force in 2006, the Technical Building Code repeals all previous regulations in building matters with the mission of unifying all the regulatory framework on this matter, which until then was quite dispersed, into a single document. Thus, CPI-96 is replaced by the Basic Document SI. "Safety in case of Fire" of the C.T.E. The CT-79 is in turn replaced by the DB. HE."Energy Savings", in which limitations on the energy consumption of a building and the performance of its thermal installations are established.

C.T.E - SI. "Safety in case of Fire" and C.T.E - HE. "Energy Savings"

In the document SI- "Safety in case of Fire" of the Technical Code, important aspects of fire protection such as compartmentalization into fire sectors are specified. As general rules, it is established that a fire sector should not exceed 2,500 m² when its use is private residential, administrative, commercial, public residential, hospital or public concurrence. When it concerns an Educational Center, this limit is extended to 4,000 m² in the event that the building has more than one floor. Other aspects such as the external propagation of fire through party walls and facades are also addressed. For this, a fire resistance of the vertical separating elements of another building of at least EI 120 is required. Propagation through the roof is also prevented, whether between two adjoining buildings or within the same building. In both cases, the fire resistance of the roof must be REI 60.

The document HE. "Energy Savings" of the Technical Code limits the energy consumption of a building depending on its climatic zone, its location, and the intended use. In general terms, this section of the Technical Code applies to newly constructed buildings and in expansions of existing buildings. Also in buildings that, due to their usage characteristics, are open and permanently conditioned.