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ISBN 978-0-626-31863-5
SANS 10400-C:201
Edition 3.1

SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL STANDARD

The application of the National Building

Regulations

Part C: Dimensions

WARNING
This document references other
documents normatively.

Published by SABS Standards Division

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SANS 10400-C:201
Edition 3.1

Table of changes
Change No. Date Scope
Amdt. 1 2015 Amended to delete the annex on the dimensions (annex A) and the
annex on the differences in performance between category 1
buildings and non-category 1 buildings (annex C), and to delete all
references to these annexes.

Acknowledgement
The SABS Standards Division wishes to acknowledge the work of the South African Institution of
Civil Engineering in updating this document.

Foreword
This South African standard was approved by National Committee SABS/TC 060, Standards which
address the National Building Regulations (NBRS), in accordance with procedures of the SABS
Standards Division, in compliance with annex 3 of the WTO/TBT agreement.

This document was approved for publication in May 201.

This document supersedes SANS 10400-C:2010 (edition 3).

A vertical line in the margin shows where the text has been technically modified by amendment
No.1.

Compliance with the requirements of this document will be deemed to be compliance with the
requirements of part C of the National Building Regulations, issued in terms of the National Building
Regulations and Building Standards Act, 1977 (Act No. 103 of 1977).

SANS 10400 consists of the following parts, under the general title The application of the National
Building Regulations:

Part A: General principles and requirements.

Part B: Structural design.

Part C: Dimensions.

Part D: Public safety.

Part F: Site operations.

Part G: Excavations.

Part H: Foundations.

Part J: Floors.

Part K: Walls.

Part L: Roofs.

Part M: Stairway.

Part N: Glazing.

Part O: Lighting and ventilation.

Part P: Drainage.

Part Q: Non-water-borne means of sanitary disposal.

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SANS 10400-C:201
Edition 3.1

Part R: Stormwater disposal.

Part S: Facilities for persons with disabilities.

Part T: Fire protection.

Part V: Space heating.

Part W: Fire installation.

Part X: Environmental sustainability – Part XA: Energy usage in buildings.

Annex B is for information only.

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SANS 10400-C:201
Edition 3.1

Contents
Page

Acknowledgement

Foreword

1 Scope ..................................................................................................................................... 3

2 Normative references ............................................................................................................. 3

3 Definitions .............................................................................................................................. 3

4 Requirements .......................................................................................................................... 5

4.1 General ........................................................................................................................ 5

4.2 Plan dimensions ........................................................................................................... 5
4.3 Room height ................................................................................................................. 6
4.4 Floor area ...................................................................................................................... 7

Annex A Deleted by amendment No. 1.

Annex B (informative) Commentary on this part of SANS 10400 ............................................. 8

Annex C Deleted by amendment No. 1.

Bibliography............................................................................................................................... 9

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SANS 10400-C:201
Edition 3.1

The application of the National Building Regulations

Part C:
Dimensions

1 Scope
This part of SANS 10400 provides deemed-to-satisfy requirements for compliance with part C
(Dimensions) of the National Building Regulations.

NOTE Annex B contains a commentary on this part of SANS 10400. Amdt 1

2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For
dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the
referenced document (including any amendments) applies. Information on currently valid national
and international standards can be obtained from the SABS Standards Division.

SANS 10400-A, The application of the National Building Regulations – Part A: General principles
and requirements.

3 Definitions
For the purposes of this document, the definitions given in SANS 10400-A (some of which are
repeated for convenience) and the following apply.

3.1
category 1 building
building which

a) is designated as being of class A3, A4, F2, G1, H2, H3, or H4 occupancy (see Regulation A20 in
SANS 10400-A),

b) has no basements,

c) has a maximum length of 6,0 m between intersecting walls or members providing lateral support,
and

d) has a floor area that does not exceed 80 m²

NOTE 1 Deleted by amendment No. 1.

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SANS 10400-C:201
Edition 3.1

NOTE 2 A building may be classified as a category 1 building for the purposes of one or more parts of
SANS 10400. Additional limitations may accordingly be imposed on category 1 buildings. For example, a
category 1 building in terms of SANS 10400-T (Fire protection) will be restricted to a single storey.

NOTE 3 Fire requirements for category 1 buildings are based on occupants escaping quickly from buildings.
The design population for occupancies as set out in table 2 of part A of the Regulations (see SANS 10400-A)
should therefore not be exceeded.

3.2
deemed-to-satisfy requirement
non-mandatory requirement, the compliance with which ensures compliance with a functional
regulation

3.3
dwelling house
single dwelling unit and any garage and other domestic outbuildings thereto, situated on its own site

3.4
dwelling unit
unit containing one or more habitable rooms and provided with adequate sanitary and cooking
facilities

3.5
floor area
total area of a building, or a storey thereof, enclosed within its external walls, exclusive of the area
occupied by any lift shaft

3.6
functional regulation
regulation that sets out in qualitative terms what is required of a building or building element or
building component in respect of a particular characteristic, without specifying the method of
construction, dimensions or materials to be used

3.7
habitable room
room used or designed, erected, adapted or intended to be used by persons for sleeping in, living
in, the preparation or consumption of food or drink, the transaction of business, the rendering of
professional services, the manufacture, processing or sale of goods, the performance of work, the
gathering together of persons, or for recreational purposes

3.8
partition
interior construction less than one storey in height, and which is generally of a light construction and
demountable

3.9
temporary building
building (excluding a builder’s shed) that is so declared by the owner and that is being used, or is to
be used, for a specified purpose for a specified limited period of time

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SANS 10400-C:2016
Edition 3.1

4 Requirements
4.1 General
The functional regulation contained in part C of the National Building Regulations shall be deemed
to be satisfied where the dimensions of any room or space comply with the requirements of 4.2, 4.3
and 4.4.

4.2 Plan dimensions

4.2.1 The plan dimensions of a room or space shall be the horizontal dimensions between
unplastered wall surfaces.

4.2.2 A floor area shall be based upon the plan dimensions but shall not include any area occupied
by a built-in cabinet or cupboard or any dividing wall or partition erected in terms of 4.2.4 (see
figure 1).

Figure 1 — Measurement of floor plan area

4.2.3 The floor area of a room contemplated in column 2 of table 1 shall be not less than that
prescribed for such room in column 3 of table 1.

Table 1 — Room area

1 2 3
Type of occupancy Room Minimum plan area
Any habitable
room other than a
All occupancies 6 m² with no linear dimension less than 2 m
kitchen, scullery or
laundry
B, D or J Change rooms and Population 1-15: 0,8 m² per person but not less than 6 m²
dining rooms
Population 16-100: 0,6 m² per person but not less than 12 m²

Population over 100: 0,5 m² per person but not less than 60 m²

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SANS 10400-C:201
Edition 3.1

4.2.4 Two or more spaces shall be deemed to be one room if any dividing wall or partition,
including any door, erected between such spaces occupies less than 60 % of the area of the
separating plane (see figure 2).

The area of wall E, F, G, C shall be less than 60 % of the area of the plane A, B, C, D.

Figure 2 — Dividing walls in single rooms

4.3 Room height

4.3.1 The height of any room or space contemplated in column 1 of table 2 shall be not less than
that prescribed for such room or space in column 2 of table 2 and shall be the vertical dimension
from the top of the finished floor to

a) the underside of the ceiling,

b) the underside of the roof covering where there is no ceiling, or

c) the underside of any structural members where such structural members project below such a
ceiling or roof covering and the plan area of such projections exceeds 30 % of the plan area of
the room.

4.3.2 Notwithstanding the requirements contained in table 2, where any structural member
projects below the level of the ceiling or, where there is no ceiling, below the level of the roof
covering, the height of such projection shall be not less than 2,1 m (see figure 3).

Table 2 ― Rooms and their dimensions

1 2
Room or space Minimum height
Bedroom 2,4 m above a floor area of at least 6 m² with a clear height of at
least 1,8 m at any point more than 0,75 m from the edge of the
floor space
Any other habitable room in a dwelling 2,4 m above a minimum of 70 % of the floor area, and not less
house or a dwelling unit than 2,1 m above the remaining floor area
All habitable rooms other than those
2,4 m
listed
Passage or entrance hall 2,1 m
Bathroom, shower-room, laundry or 2,1 m above any area where a person would normally be in a
room containing a toilet pan standing position
Open mezzanine floor which has an
area not exceeding 25 % of the area 2,1 m above and below the mezzanine floor
of the floor immediately below it

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SANS 10400-C:201
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NOTE This height would normally be taken at level 2, but if the sum of the plan areas of ribs A, B, C, D, E, F
and G is greater than 30 % of the total area of the room, the ceiling height should be measured to level 1.

Figure 3 ― Interpretation of minimum floor to ceiling height (see 4.3.2)

4.4 Floor area

The overall plan area of any dwelling house shall be not less than

a) 15 m2 in the case of a temporary building,

b) 27 m2 in the case of permanent category 1 buildings, or

c) 30 m2 in the case of any other permanent building.

NOTE With the present tendency towards smaller sites it is likely that many more houses of a size much
smaller than has been common in the past will be built. In considering the very small permanent building it
should be remembered that size cannot be equated to quality and a small house will not therefore
automatically detract from the value of surrounding larger houses.

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SANS 10400-C:201
Edition 3.1

Annex A
Deleted by amendment No. 1

Annex B
(informative)

Commentary on this part of SANS 10400

The plan areas given are very small but this is necessary in the interests of providing affordable
housing. In the case of certain types of self-help housing, such as the “core house”, the first stage
will, by definition, be small and will seldom consist of more than a single room plus toilet facilities.
The fact that such a building would be regarded as a temporary building should ensure that it will
eventually progress to something more reasonable in size.

Since a minimum size for habitable rooms is specified in 4.2.3, the number of rooms in a dwelling
house will, to some extent, influence the overall area of the building. In this context, the deemed-to-
satisfy requirements do not indicate whether a habitable room should be of greater size than the
minimum given if such a room is to be used for multiple purposes. For practical, if not legal, reasons
this would obviously be desirable. In the case of a temporary house that consists of one habitable
room it is assumed that this will be used for eating, sleeping and cooking, as well as being a general
living room.

Annex C
Deleted by amendment No.1

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SANS 10400-C:201
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Bibliography
SANS 10400-T, The application of the National Building Regulations – Part T: Fire protection.

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