RWANDA BUILDING CONTROL REGULATIONS

1 BUILDING CONTROL REGULATIONS 2nd Edition _____Ministry of Infrastructure RWANDA Housing Authority REPUBLIC OF RWANDA MINISTRY OF INFRASTRUCTURE RWANDA HOUSING AUTHORITY RWANDA BUILDING CONTROL REGULATIONS May 2012 2nd Edition BUILDING CONTROL REGULATIONS 2nd Edition _____Ministry of Infrastructure RWANDA Housing Authority FOREWORD The overall mission of RWANDA Housing Authority is to implement the national housing and construction policies through coordination, conception, development, monitoring and evaluation of actions and programs so as to improve the overall living conditions of Rwandan citizen and contribute to the development of the country.

2 In order to carry out this important mission, the Agency has undertaken an ambitious program aimed at availing all necessary legal planning tools that are prerequisites for the organization of the construction and urban planning industries. This exercise starts with the elaboration of laws, codes of standards, specifications, design manuals; guidelines of which the present edition of the RWANDA BUILDING CONTROL REGULATIONS is an integral part. In publishing this second edition, RWANDA Housing Authority wanted to have an up to date document that reflects the needs of the moment as well as being in harmony with other major legal tools that came into existence after its first inception. As demonstrated in its past three years of existence, the REGULATIONS will go a long way in helping professionals in the construction and urban planning industries as well as all other stakeholders and partners by providing a baseline from which to operate and in doing so, contribute significantly to the development of the entire housing sector in the country.

3 The second edition of RWANDA BUILDING CONTROL REGULATIONS will be reviewed in the next two years time so as to insure that it goes with its time and captures the reality the country faces in real time. Esther MUTAMBA Director General RWANDA Housing Authority BUILDING CONTROL REGULATIONS 2nd Edition _____Ministry of Infrastructure RWANDA Housing Authority TABLE OF CONTENTS PART 1: PRELIMINARY .. SECTION GENERAL .. Citation .. Definitions .. 'Acceptable' .. 'Access door' .. 'Act' .. ! Bookmark not defined. 'Applicant' .. 'Application' .. 'Approval' .. 'Approved' .. 'Approved plan'.

4 'Artificial ventilation' or 'artificial ventilation system' .. 'Automatic' .. `Balustrade' .. 'Basement' .. 'Block' .. 'Brickwork' .. ' BUILDING CONTROL officer' .. ' BUILDING committee' .. 'Canopy' .. 'Cesspool' .. 'Chimney' .. 'Class' .. 'Combustible' .. 'Column' .. 'Concrete' .. 'Competent person' .. 'Currency point' .. 'Dead load' .. 'Deemed satisfied'.. 'Division' .. 'Domestic BUILDING ' .. 'Drain' .. 'Drainage work' .. 'Dwelling house' .. 'Dwelling unit' .. 'Emergency route' .. 'Escape door' .. 'Escape route' .. 'Exit door' .. 'External wall' .. 'Feeder route' .. 'Fire shutter' .. BUILDING CONTROL REGULATIONS 2nd Edition _____Ministry of Infrastructure RWANDA Housing Authority 'Fire resistance'.

5 'Fire-stop' .. 'Flight' .. 'Floor area' .. 'Flue' .. 'Flue pipe' .. 'Foul water' .. 'Foundation' .. 'Foundation wall' .. 'Garage'.. 'Habitable room' .. 'Hoarding' .. 'Imposed load' .. 'Incremental house' .. 'Industrial effluent' .. 'Kitchen'.. 'Landing' .. 'Lateral boundary' .. 'Latrine'.. 'Load' .. 'Load bearing' .. 'Manhole' .. 'Member' .. 'Minor BUILDING work' .. 'Non-combustible' .. 'Nosing' .. 'Obstruction' .. 'Occupancy' .. 'Partition' .. 'Partition wall' .. 'Party wall or separating wall' .. 'Pit latrine .. 'Pitch line' .. 'Plot' .. 'Pressurization ' .. Pressurized' .. 'Public BUILDING ' .. 'Public place' .. 'Public sewer' .. 'Reinforced concrete' .. 'Repairs' .. 'Retaining wall' .. 'Roof assembly' .. 'Safety glazing material'.

6 'Scaffolding' .. 'Separating element' .. BUILDING CONTROL REGULATIONS 2nd Edition _____Ministry of Infrastructure RWANDA Housing Authority 'Septic tank' .. 'Sewage' .. 'Sewer' .. 'Sprinkler system' .. 'Stability' .. 'Stairway' .. 'Standards' .. 'Standards institution' .. 'Storey' .. 'Storm water drain' .. 'Storm water' .. 'Street' .. 'Strength' .. 'Structural' .. 'Structural system'.. 'Temporary BUILDING ' .. 'Tile field' .. 'Travel distance' .. 'Tread' .. 'Type plans' .. 'Ventilated improved pit latrine' (VIP) .. 'Wall' .. 'Water closet' .. 'Width'.

7 'Wind load' .. SECTION SCOPE .. Buildings and Utilities .. Temporary and Minor Buildings .. PART 2: ADMINISTRATION .. SECTION APPLICATIONS FOR APPROVAL OF PLANS .. Submittals .. Type Plans .. Preliminary Plans and Enquiries .. Application for Minor BUILDING Works .. Enforcement Personnel .. Standardisation of Interpretation .. Design Work in Progress .. SECTION PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT .. Design by Professionals .. Non-compliant Professionals .. Commissioning of Professionals .. PART 3: DESIGN .. SECTION GENERAL REQUIREMENTS .. Requirements for BUILDING Applications .. Additional Documents and Information .. Presentation of Plans .. BUILDING CONTROL REGULATIONS 2nd Edition _____Ministry of Infrastructure RWANDA Housing Authority Site Plan.

8 Layout Drawings .. Drainage Installation Drawings and Particulars .. Fire Protection Plans .. Symbols on Fire Protection Plans .. Boundary Beacons .. Street Application for Temporary Buildings .. Classification and Designation of Occupancies .. Design Population .. Unstable Soils or Slopes .. Excavations Designed by Engineers .. Landscaping and Parking .. SECTION STRUCTURAL DESIGN .. Dead and Imposed Loads .. Foundations .. Load-Bearing Floors .. Walls .. Roofs .. Stairs and Lifts .. SECTION BUILDING SERVICES .. Plumbing and Drainage .. Disposal of Contents of Chemical Toilet .. Water Borne System Disposal .. Construction of Plumbing or Drainage Installation .. Kitchen Waste Water .. Storm Water Disposal .. Refuse Disposal .. Rat Proofing .. Glazing.

9 Heating .. Comfort Levels .. Lighting and Ventilation .. Public Dimension .. Facilities for Persons with Disabilities .. Occupancy In Hotel, Apartment .. SECTION FIRE PROTECTION .. General Provisions .. Fire Resistance .. Fire Performance .. Fire Resistant Walls .. Non-Combustible Roof .. Escape Routes .. Fire Alarm .. BUILDING CONTROL REGULATIONS 2nd Edition _____Ministry of Infrastructure RWANDA Housing Authority SECTION ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS .. Mains Supply .. Wiring .. PART 4: CONSTRUCTION .. SECTION TESTS AND REPORTS .. Test Report.

10 Street BUILDING Materials and Tests .. SECTION SITE ACTIVITIES .. Construction .. Notice of Activities on Site .. Demolition Work .. Site Operations .. SECTION BUILDING ELEMENTS AND MATERIALS .. BUILDING Materials .. Walls .. Formwork .. Reinforcement .. Concrete .. SECTION SPECIAL PROVISIONS .. Indemnity Against Damages .. Site Conditions .. Prohibition of Use of Certain Machinery .. Temporary Builder's Sheds .. Temporary Sanitary Facilities .. Excavations .. ! Bookmark not defined. PART 5: OCCUPANCY .. SECTION NOTICES AND INSPECTION .. Inspection by BUILDING CONTROL Officer .. Installation, Maintenance and Operation .. Emptying of Contents of Septic or Conservancy Tank .. SECTION HYGIENE .. Non Water-Borne Systems .. VIP Superstructure.