Masterspec
21 May 2026
Masterspec Specified: Flow House by JTB Architects
Flow House is a strong example of how thoughtful design can unlock the potential of a steep, narrow infill site while delivering a highly sustainable,...
21 May 2026
Masterspec Specified: Port Tarakohe by JTB Architects
A compact 140 m² coastal facility designed with a strong emphasis on low‑carbon materials, environmental responsiveness, and long‑term resilience. Set...
01 May 2026
Educating the Next Generation of Specifiers — Bringing Specification into the Classroom
Masterspec actively engages with the industry through our training programmes, which support ongoing professional development and contribute to...
23 Apr 2026
AI Risk, Verification and Trust in New Zealand Construction Documentation
The increasing use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in construction documentation presents both opportunities and risks for the New Zealand...
31 Mar 2026
Masterspec Specified: 211 High Street by Ignite
211 High Street transforms the iconic Excelsior Hotel site into a high-quality, sustainable, commercial mixed-use building. The ground floor features...
25 Mar 2026
Why AI Changes How We Trust Construction Specifications
AI has not created the risk of inaccurate or misused construction specifications, but it has made that risk faster, easier to scale, and harder to...
04 Mar 2026
2025 Building Code Update and Building Product Specifications
On 28th July 2025, MBIE's Building Product Specifications (BPS) document came into effect. This document, to be read alongside the Acceptable...
19 Nov 2025
Masterspec Specified: Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre
Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre stands as a landmark civic and cultural facility in the heart of Christchurch, New Zealand. Designed by Woods...
15 Oct 2025
Masterspec Specified: Air New Zealand Hangar 4 by Studio Pacific Architecture
The project was designed to meet Green Star environmental standards and includes advanced cladding, roofing, and mechanical systems tailored for...
10 Oct 2025
Bridging the Gap: Empowering Better Specifications for Builders
At this year’s Constructive Conference in Auckland, we asked every delegate we spoke with: “What can we do to improve construction documentation and...
24 Sep 2025
NECO₂ – New Zealand’s Embodied Carbon Repository Goes Live
New Zealand’s construction sector has taken a major step providing New Zealand-centric carbon data with the launch of the first release of NECO₂ – the...
22 Sep 2025
Masterspec Specified: Award Winning Bryndwr House One by AO Architecture
Tucked into a secluded rear site behind a mature, tree-lined driveway in leafy Bryndwr, this new family home forms one half of a pair of residences...
22 Sep 2025
Masterspec Specified: Award Winning Flockhill Sugarloaf by Hierarchy Group
Nestled in the remote Craigieburn Valley of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, Sugarloaf at Flockhill is more than a restaurant — it’s an architectural...
12 Sep 2025
Masterspec Specified: Award Winning He Whare Hono ō Tūwharetoa by DCA Architects of Transformation
In the heart of Taupō, a landmark civic building is redefining the relationship between architecture, culture, and governance.
08 Sep 2025
Masterspec Specified: Award Winning Terrace 12C by Bassett-Smith Architecture
Terrace 12C is a residential development located in Tauranga, designed to maximise site efficiency while maintaining architectural individuality. The...
08 Sep 2025
Masterspec Specified: Award Winning Miller Residences by Oliver Andrew Associates
In the heart of Auckland, the Miller Residences by Oliver Andrew Associates stand as a refined example of contemporary multi-unit housing — where...
01 Apr 2025
Document Referencing and Scheduling with eCert
Our editor team has updated all Masterspec work sections which have references to environmental documents. Where environmental document references...
27 Mar 2025
Update Manager New Features
The new Update Manager features are designed to boost productivity when applying changes to updated work sections. Simplify work section updates with...
03 Mar 2025
CIL is Now Accepting Product Carbon Data for the National Embodied Carbon Data Repository for Construction.
CIL Masterspec is now accepting carbon information in the form of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) or Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) from...
06 Jan 2025
Carbon 2025 and Beyond: Building a More Sustainable Future for NZ Construction
In July 2024, Construction Information Ltd (CIL) and the Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ) announced a partnership to develop a...

UPDATES TO STANDARDS ON POLYETHYLENE (PE) PIPES & INSULATION

20 Dec 2018

POLYETHYLENE (PE) PIPES

AS/NZS 4130:2018 Polyethylene (PE) Pipes For Pressure Applications, which covers fluids (includes water) and gas pipe specifications, has superseded AS/NZS 4130:2009 of the same name. However AS/NZS 4130:2009 is cited in NZBC E1/AS1, G12/AS1, G13/AS2 and G14/VM1, so for now remains part of the AS's and VM's. AS/NZS 4130:2018 would be an Alternative Solution.

AS/NZS 4130:2018, like the old version, provides among other things information on the compound types (80PE or 100PE) relative to nominal pressure rating (PN) and size (diameter and wall thickness). The changes from the old version largely consist of a reorganisation of the tables listing these attributes. This revision deletes the separate Series 2 gas pipes dimension Table 3, and amalgamates the Series 2 pipes into the Series 1 dimension Table 2. The various tables are correspondingly renumbered throughout the Standard. For clarity, the terminology Series 3 has been retained.

Installation of Polyethylene pipes for fluids is to AS/NZS 2033 and for gas to AS/NZS 4645.

Masterspec will continue to refer to the 2009 version as long as it is cited in the Code.

THERMAL INSULATION

AS/NZS 4859.1:2002 Materials For The Thermal Insulation Of Buildings - General Criteria And Technical Provisions, has been split up and superseded by two new Standards, AS/NZS 4859.1:2018 Thermal Insulation Materials For Buildings - General Criteria And Technical Provisions, and AS/NZS 4859.2:2018 Thermal Insulation Materials For Buildings - Design. However AS/NZS 4859.1:2002 is cited in NZBC H1/AS1, so for now remains part of the Acceptable Solution. AS/NZS 4859.1:2018 and AS/NZS 4859.2:2018 would be Alternative Solutions.

All of these Standards set out the requirements for manufacturers and suppliers of insulation, defining performance criteria and how to calculate and demonstrate that performance. In other words how they get to the concise R - values of insulation that you use. The new changes update some of the thermal insulation products particularly rigid foams.

Although these Standards contain some detailed R - value calculations for manufacturers and suppliers, the main Standard (among others) for building designers to calculate their building R - values is NZS 4214:2006 Method Of Determining The Total Thermal Resistance Of Parts Of Buildings.

Masterspec will continue to refer to AS/NZS 4859.1:2002 version as long as it is cited in the Code.