Why aged care HVAC is its own category
Aged care HVAC is not a smaller version of hospital HVAC and it is not a slightly more demanding version of residential HVAC. It is its own discipline with its own design language, its own regulatory stack, and its own failure modes. The frail older Australians who occupy a residential aged care bedroom for the last years of their life are not patients in the acute-care sense — they are residents, and the room they live in is their home. Get the HVAC wrong and you compromise dignity, sleep, infection control, and the operator's licence to operate.
Five characteristics make aged care unique. First, occupants are physiologically frail — thermoregulation declines with age, comfort tolerance narrows, and what feels mildly cool to a 35-year-old design engineer feels dangerously cold to a 92-year-old resident. Second, occupants spend 18-22 hours per day in their rooms — sleeping, resting, watching television, receiving family — so noise criteria are tighter than any other commercial HVAC sector. Third, infection control after the 2020-2021 COVID-19 outbreaks has become non-negotiable, with major operators upgrading filtration to MERV 13 minimum and outside-air rates to AS 1668.2 prescribed plus 25 percent. Fourth, dementia care environment design treats noise, temperature swings and air movement as therapeutic variables rather than mechanical conveniences. Fifth, end-of-life palliative care places comfort and dignity above every other design consideration — the HVAC system in a palliative suite must be effectively invisible.
Layer onto those five clinical characteristics a regulatory stack — the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission's eight Quality Standards, the post-Royal Commission reforms of 2018-2021, NCC Class 9c compliance, AS 1668.2 mechanical ventilation, AS 1668.1 fire and smoke control, AS/NZS 4254 ductwork construction, and for SDA dwellings the NDIS SDA Design Standard. The result is a sector where the HVAC engineer is not just sizing fans, they are interpreting clinical philosophy, regulatory obligation and operator brand standards into a sheet metal procurement schedule.
This guide is the field reference SBKJ engineers walk through with mechanical consultants, sheet metal contractors and aged care operators when they ask us how to specify ductwork for an Australian aged care, retirement village or NDIS SDA project. It pulls together the standards, the operator practice, the room-by-room HVAC playbook, and the duct fabrication implications — including which SBKJ machines suit which part of the work. It is grounded in 30+ years of HVAC ductwork manufacturing experience and the specific Australian aged care reform context post-2021.
The Australian aged care, retirement and disability landscape
Three distinct accommodation models serve Australians who need housing combined with care, support or age-appropriate independence. Each has its own funding model, regulatory body, building classification and HVAC obligations. Understanding which one your project falls into is the first specification decision before any duct sizing happens.
Residential Aged Care (RAC)
Residential aged care is funded by the Australian Government via the Aged Care Act 1997 and its successor reforms post-Royal Commission. Resident contributions flow through Refundable Accommodation Deposits (RADs) and Daily Accommodation Payments (DAPs) for accommodation, plus means-tested care fees for the care component. The sector is regulated by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC), buildings are constructed under NCC Class 9c, and the eight Aged Care Quality Standards (ACQS) govern resident outcomes including the service environment.
Residential aged care subdivides into care intensity tiers. High-care residential serves residents with significant care needs — most rooms are single-resident with ensuite, beds are profiling beds with overhead hoist provision in some rooms, and HVAC sets prioritise infection control and quiet operation. Low-care residential, sometimes called hostel accommodation in older terminology, serves residents with lower care needs — independent toileting, supported activities of daily living, bedroom-with-ensuite layout. Dementia secure units are purpose-designed locked or memory-care wings serving residents with dementia, behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), or wandering risk — design language emphasises calming, sensory regulation, gardens with secure perimeter, and HVAC that supports cognitive comfort. Palliative care suites, sometimes called hospice rooms, serve end-of-life residents — design priorities are dignity, family overnight stay, and HVAC that supports natural sleep without disturbance.
The major Australian residential aged care operators include BUPA Aged Care (around 70 homes nationally, owned by BUPA International), Regis Healthcare (around 60 facilities, ASX-listed), Estia Health (now privately held after takeover, around 70 facilities), Opal HealthCare (private, around 80 facilities), Allity (private), Calvary Healthcare (Catholic mission, integrated hospital-aged care model), Catholic Healthcare (NSW-based), Uniting (NSW/ACT and VIC/TAS branches), Anglicare (multiple state branches), RSL Care/RSL LifeCare (NSW returned services league), IRT Group (Illawarra-based), Whiddon (NSW regional specialist), and the not-for-profit operators Bolton Clarke (formerly RSL Care + RDNS), Mercy Health (Catholic mission), HammondCare (specialist dementia and palliative), Baptcare and ECH (SA-focused). Each operator runs its own brand standards on HVAC specification, with BUPA and Regis publishing the most extensive room-by-room HVAC schedules.
Retirement Village (RV) and Independent Living
Retirement villages are private, self-funded over-55s housing communities under state-based Retirement Villages Acts (Victoria's Retirement Villages Act 1986, NSW's Retirement Villages Act 1999, etc.). Residents typically pay an entry contribution (sometimes structured as a deferred management fee model), purchase or licence their independent living unit (ILU), and pay ongoing maintenance and service fees. There is no Australian Government care funding — residents fund their own care through Home Care Packages or out-of-pocket — and the village operator's role is housing and lifestyle, not regulated care. Buildings are constructed under NCC Class 1a (detached or attached townhouse) or Class 2 (apartment) classifications, not the heavier Class 9c.
Major retirement village operators include Stockland Halcyon (Stockland's masterplanned over-50s community brand, predominantly QLD and NSW), Lendlease Retirement Living (formerly the largest single retirement village portfolio in Australia, sold in stages to Aware Super and APG), Aveo (Brookfield-owned), Levande (Brookfield-owned, formerly Stockland's retirement portfolio), Keyton (Lendlease and Aware Super JV branding), RetireAustralia (NZ Super and Infratil-owned), Living Choice, Ingenia Communities, GemLife, and a long tail of smaller regional operators. Stockland Halcyon and Keyton run the most ambitious development pipelines as of 2026, with multi-stage masterplans of 100-300 ILUs per village.
HVAC obligations for retirement village ILUs are residential-grade. Each ILU receives an individual ducted reverse-cycle system or split system, residential noise criteria (NR-25 to NR-30 sleeping rooms), and accessible-features oriented controls. The ductwork is residential and light commercial — not the heavy-duty smoke-spill construction of aged care — but the volume is significant: a 200-ILU masterplan stage uses comparable ductwork tonnage to a 80-bed aged care home, just distributed across many smaller systems.
Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) under NDIS
Specialist Disability Accommodation is NDIS-funded housing for people with significant functional impairment. The NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) was rolled out from 2013 and SDA funding flows to participants whose extreme functional impairment or very high support needs make conventional housing unworkable. SDA is a relatively new market segment compared with aged care or retirement living — the SDA Design Standard published by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) was released in 2019, with significant updates through to the present.
SDA dwellings come in four design categories. Improved Liveability serves residents with sensory, intellectual or cognitive impairment, including autism spectrum disorder and significant sensory processing differences — the design priority is calming, predictable, controllable environments with enhanced acoustic performance and HVAC that does not produce sudden loud cycling or temperature swings. Fully Accessible serves residents with significant physical impairment using wheelchairs or mobility aids — accessibility-driven design including reachable controls and clear circulation. Robust serves residents whose behaviour patterns may include intentional damage to building elements — the design priority is durability, tamper-resistance, and concealed or protected ductwork in resident-accessed zones. High Physical Support serves residents with very high physical support needs including those who use ceiling-mounted hoist tracks for transfers — the building has hoist tracks installed in bedrooms, ensuite and main living areas, and the HVAC ceiling-void coordination must accommodate these tracks.
SDA dwellings are typically delivered as small group homes (3-bedroom to 5-bedroom) or as apartments within mixed-use buildings. Build classifications are Class 1 (detached or attached dwellings) or Class 3 (residential building with shared facilities) depending on layout. SDA Provider Certification requires sign-off by an SDA Assessor and an Independent Accredited Building Surveyor before NDIS funding flows to the dwelling. The major SDA developers include Cocoon SDA Care, Casa Capace, Lighthouse Infrastructure, MyIntegra, Summer Housing, SDA Smart Communities, and dozens of mid-sized SDA-funded developers and not-for-profits including Life Without Barriers (the largest SDA provider by dwelling count in some regions).
The Australian aged care reform context
The Aged Care Royal Commission ran from 2018 to 2021 and delivered its final report Care, Dignity and Respect in March 2021. The commission's findings on the physical environment, infection control, dementia care and end-of-life palliative care drove the most substantial reform in the sector's history. The 2020-2021 COVID-19 outbreaks across Victorian aged care homes, where 655 residents died in residential aged care during the second wave, made HVAC infection control a public-policy priority rather than a back-of-house engineering decision.
The post-Royal Commission reform package introduced the new Aged Care Act, established the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission with stronger compliance powers, mandated 24/7 registered nurse coverage, mandated minimum care minutes per resident, and accelerated the transition from shared bedroom configurations to single-resident-with-ensuite layouts. The Aged Care Quality Standards were updated and expanded — the current Standard 5 (Organisation's service environment) explicitly addresses comfort, safety, and the contribution of the physical environment to resident wellbeing, which HVAC delivery now needs to demonstrably support.
For HVAC engineers, the practical consequences of the reform are: filtration upgrades to MERV 13 minimum, outside-air rate increases to AS 1668.2 prescribed plus 25 percent in many designs, in-duct UVGI installation in some flagship facilities, IAQ monitoring at the bedhead, single-resident-with-ensuite designs replacing shared rooms (which doubles or triples duct branch counts compared with old hostel layouts), and stronger documentation expectations for commissioning and ongoing operational performance verification.
Standards stack for aged care HVAC
The Australian standards stack for aged care HVAC is a layered framework of statutory regulation, building code, technical standard and operator brand standard. Specifying ductwork for an aged care project requires knowing which layer applies to which part of the design.
Statutory and regulatory layer
The Aged Care Act establishes the legal framework for residential aged care and home care. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission is the regulator. The Aged Care Quality Standards (ACQS) are the eight outcome-based standards every accredited residential aged care provider must meet. Standard 5 (Organisation's service environment) is the most directly relevant to HVAC, requiring that the service environment is welcoming, easy to understand and access, and that residents are safe and comfortable. The NDIS Act and NDIS Practice Standards apply to SDA dwellings, with the SDA Design Standard specifying the technical design requirements per category. State-based Retirement Villages Acts govern retirement village operations but do not impose specific HVAC technical requirements beyond residential building code.
Building code layer
The National Construction Code (NCC) sets the building classification framework. Class 9c is specifically defined as an Aged Care Building — a Class 9 building used for residential accommodation of aged persons whose physical or mental capacity is significantly impaired. Class 9c carries specific fire-safety, smoke-control, accessibility and ventilation obligations beyond Class 1a (residential dwelling) or Class 2 (residential apartment). For NDIS SDA, the dwelling is typically Class 1a, Class 1b or Class 3 — not Class 9c — although the SDA Design Standard adds requirements on top of the underlying NCC class.
Technical standard layer
AS 1668.2 The use of mechanical ventilation and air-conditioning in buildings sets the prescribed outside air rates by occupancy classification. AS 1668.1 The use of ventilation and airconditioning in buildings — Part 1: Fire and smoke control sets smoke-spill duct construction, leakage class and fan selection. AS/NZS 4254.1 Ductwork for air-handling systems in buildings — Part 1: Flexible duct and AS/NZS 4254.2 — Part 2: Rigid duct set sheet metal ductwork construction including gauge, joint construction, sealant class and leakage class. ASHRAE Standard 170 Ventilation of Health Care Facilities is referenced where the aged care facility incorporates a clinic or treatment room, although it is not statutorily mandated in Australia. NFPA 96 Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations is referenced for central kitchen exhaust hood and duct construction.
Operator brand standard layer
The largest operators publish their own brand standards on top of the regulatory and technical layers. BUPA Aged Care brand standards typically specify MERV 13 minimum filtration, NC-25 in resident bedrooms, individual setpoint control via bedhead controller, and corridor temperature setpoint controlled at the nurses' station. Regis Healthcare brand standards emphasise dementia secure unit acoustic performance and palliative care comfort. Estia Health brand standards prioritise infection control documentation and IAQ monitoring. Stockland Halcyon retirement village brand standards specify residential ducted reverse-cycle systems, accessible-features oriented controls, and Net Zero coordination. Lendlease Retirement Living and Keyton brand standards align with the Lendlease Net Zero portfolio commitment.
Aged care residential room HVAC
The single residential bedroom with ensuite is the unit cell of modern aged care design. Post-Royal Commission reform has accelerated the transition from shared rooms to single rooms — the design target across most major operators is now 100 percent single-resident-with-ensuite. From an HVAC perspective, this multiplies the number of independently conditioned spaces and drives the duct branch count up significantly compared with old hostel-era designs.
Each residential bedroom is conditioned to provide individual occupant comfort under a tight noise budget. The typical design is either a fan coil unit (FCU) per room with concealed ceiling-mounted ductwork, or a multi-room ducted reverse-cycle system with VAV or zone-damper control per room. FCU-per-room is more common in flagship builds because it offers absolute setpoint independence and isolates infection-control filter changes per room. Multi-room ducted systems are more common in cost-driven builds and in dementia secure units where centralised control is preferred over per-resident adjustment.
Bedroom HVAC specification typical numbers are: noise criteria NC-25 measured at the bedhead with system at design flow, temperature setpoint range 20-26 °C with bedhead-mounted simple controller (large-print buttons, simple up-down-off interface), filtration MERV 13 minimum on the FCU return-side filter, outside air provision 10 L/s per resident continuous (AS 1668.2 prescribed) or higher in post-COVID enhanced designs, supply duct velocity less than 3 m/s in the final run to achieve the noise budget, and internally lined acoustic ductwork on the last 2-3 m of supply and return.
The ensuite is typically served by a discrete extraction fan with run-on timer, ducted to the building exhaust riser. Ensuite duct material is galvanised G90 with smooth internal surfaces (lint and humidity resistance), and the riser typically discharges through the roof at high velocity. Ensuite extraction must operate continuously (not intermittently) in some operator brand standards to maintain pressure cascade between ensuite and bedroom.
Dementia secure unit HVAC
Dementia secure units are the most acoustically and environmentally demanding part of any aged care facility. Residents with moderate-to-severe dementia have heightened sensitivity to noise, sudden temperature changes, glare, and unfamiliar sensory inputs. The HVAC system must therefore operate as a calming, invisible presence rather than a noticeable mechanical conveyance. Specifying a dementia secure unit HVAC system using the same approach as a corporate office building HVAC system is a frequent and serious specification error.
Dementia secure unit design priorities are: NC-25 acoustic at bedhead and in lounge as a hard limit, gentle setpoint ramps avoiding rapid temperature swings that trigger agitation, tamper-resistant or concealed controls because residents may attempt to adjust thermostats or interfere with HVAC equipment, access doors recessed in non-resident areas only, no isolation pressure regime required (dementia is not infectious — pressure cascade is only required if infection control is also a design driver), integration with sensory garden design where outside air is drawn from garden-side rather than service-yard side, and continuous operation of the HVAC system 24/7 without obvious cycling on or off.
The duct material and construction are standard galvanised G90 to AS/NZS 4254 with internally lined acoustic duct on all supply runs in resident-accessed spaces. Diffuser selection prioritises low-velocity laminar discharge (perforated plate or linear slot) over high-velocity throw diffusers. Return air is best routed through ceiling plenum returns rather than ducted return — plenum returns are quieter and harder to interfere with. The duct fabrication is identical to general aged care work — the differentiation is in the design and selection rather than the metalwork.
Palliative care suite HVAC
Palliative care suites are designed to provide end-of-life dignity. Most suites are configured for an extended stay including family overnight accommodation — a pull-out daybed, additional armchair, and small kitchenette for family members. The HVAC priority is comfort for the resident in the final days or weeks of life, and the family member who may be sleeping in the room overnight. Noise, draught, sudden temperature changes, and any disturbance to natural sleep are unacceptable.
Palliative suite HVAC specification is: NC-25 acoustic minimum, independent temperature setpoint per suite with override at the bedhead, generous outside air provision often 15 L/s per occupant or more, no audible cycling of the FCU or air-handler — most operators specify modulating-fan FCUs operating at very low primary speeds, low-velocity diffuser selection with throw deliberately short to avoid air movement on the bed, and internally lined acoustic duct on all final runs.
The thermal mass and stability of the palliative suite is also a design consideration — radiant cooling in some flagship designs, hydronic heating loops with very stable supply water temperature, and a slight overcool capability so that family members who are physically active can maintain comfort while the resident in the bed is lightly covered. Filtration is MERV 13 minimum, sometimes upgraded to HEPA polishing in flagship facilities.
Common areas — dining, lounge, activity, library, chapel, mens shed
Common areas in aged care are where residents spend their socially active hours. The dining room is the highest-occupancy moment of any aged care day — three meals a day with residents from across the wing all gathered. The lounge is the daytime social heart. The activity room hosts art therapy, music sessions and group exercises. The library, chapel and increasingly common 'mens shed' workshop space serve specific cohorts of residents. Each common area has its own occupancy density, noise budget and HVAC implication.
Dining room HVAC drives peak load. Typical design is NC-30 to NC-35 acoustic, occupancy density 1.5-2 m2 per person at peak meal service, outside air 10 L/s per resident, and distribution via ceiling diffusers with deliberately spread throw to avoid draughts on residents in wheelchairs or recliners. The kitchen-to-dining interface is a critical design moment — the dining room must remain at slight positive pressure relative to the kitchen to prevent cooking smells migrating into the dining environment, with the kitchen exhaust handling the differential.
Lounges and activity rooms are NC-30 to NC-35, designed for moderate occupancy with comfortable seating and clear sight-lines to a television or activity focal point. Outside air provision matches AS 1668.2 occupancy. Acoustic performance is important because many residents have hearing loss and group conversation must be possible without competing background HVAC noise. Library and chapel spaces are quieter spaces (NC-30) with low diffuser velocity and minimal mechanical noise.
The 'mens shed' workshop space is an increasingly common feature in modern aged care — a hobby workshop with woodworking benches, basic hand tools, and sometimes a small lathe or scroll saw for residents who maintain manual hobbies. The HVAC implication is dust extraction at the bench, separate from the building's general supply and return. Specify a small dust collection unit with HEPA filter discharge and dedicated ductwork in 304 stainless steel or coated galvanised — the dust mix can include shellac, varnish and wood-finish solvent fumes which are corrosive to bare galvanised over time.
Kitchen and laundry HVAC
The aged care commercial kitchen is a back-of-house space with industrial-grade requirements that contrast sharply with the front-of-house residential design language. Most aged care facilities run a central commissary kitchen producing 200-400 meals per day across breakfast, lunch and dinner, with cook-chill production for some meals and cook-serve production for others. Some facilities run a 'therapeutic kitchen' for resident participation in baking and meal preparation activities.
Kitchen exhaust hood construction follows AS 1668.1 and NFPA 96 principles. The hood is sized for the cooking line — typically 4-bay combi oven, 600 mm fryer, 900 mm griddle, and a multi-burner range. Hood plenum and exhaust duct are constructed in 304L stainless steel with continuous welded seams (not bead-and-lap construction) to achieve grease-tight duct rated to AS 1668.1. Exhaust duct is routed in a fire-rated shaft to a roof-mounted high-velocity discharge fan, with cleanout access doors at every change of direction and at maximum 4 m intervals on horizontal runs.
The make-up air system supplies tempered outside air to the kitchen at 80-90 percent of the exhaust rate, maintaining the kitchen at slight negative pressure relative to the dining room. Make-up air diffusers are positioned to avoid airflow over the cooking line (which would disrupt hood capture efficiency) and avoid drafts on staff. Make-up air ductwork is galvanised G90 with insulation on the supply riser.
The laundry runs continuously processing personal linen, bedding, towels and uniforms. Laundry exhaust handles high humidity, lint, and significant heat from dryers. Specify smooth internal galvanised duct or 304 stainless for lint resistance, high-temperature gasketing if dryer exhaust is consolidated into a common riser, cleanout access doors at every change of direction and at 3 m maximum spacing on horizontal runs, and roof-mounted exhaust fans with corrosion-resistant impellers. Laundry ductwork is one of the highest-maintenance HVAC systems in any aged care facility — design accessibility is critical.
Medical room and treatment room HVAC
Modern residential aged care facilities increasingly run on-site clinical procedures that previously required transport to a hospital or community health centre. Wound care, IV therapy, simple dressing changes, minor dental, and some allied health treatments are now common in larger facilities. The treatment rooms that host these procedures are not full hospital rooms — but they are not residential bedrooms either, and they sit in a hybrid HVAC space.
Treatment rooms are typically designed to ASHRAE 170 informed construction rather than full ASHRAE 170 compliance — meaning the design borrows the principles of clinical-room HVAC (filtered supply air, dedicated exhaust, controlled pressure relationship) without requiring the full hospital documentation regime. Specify MERV 13 minimum filtration, dedicated exhaust to outside rather than ceiling plenum return, slight negative pressure relative to corridor where infection-control is a design driver, and minimum 6 air changes per hour for general treatment rooms.
Dressing rooms — where wound dressings are changed and bandages replaced — are typically maintained at slight negative pressure to corridor to prevent migration of any airborne pathogens to the corridor and adjacent residential rooms. The exhaust riser from the dressing room is routed in a dedicated shaft and discharged through the roof at high velocity. Material is 304 stainless on the exhaust side and galvanised on the supply side.
Independent Living Unit (ILU) HVAC
Independent living units in retirement villages are residential dwellings — they look and function like townhouses or apartments. Each ILU receives its own HVAC system, sized for the dwelling's footprint and configured for the resident's individual control. The ductwork is residential-grade, the noise criteria is residential-grade, and the controls are accessible-features oriented because the residents are by definition over 55 and many are over 75.
Typical ILU HVAC is ducted reverse-cycle from a single ceiling-mounted indoor unit, with zone dampers serving the bedrooms, lounge and study. Noise criteria NR-25 to NR-30 in sleeping rooms, NR-30 to NR-35 in living rooms. Ductwork is galvanised G90 to AS/NZS 4254 with rectangular section in the trunk and round flex on the final runs. Diffuser selection is typically circular ceiling diffusers with low-velocity discharge.
Controls are critical. The residents driving Stockland Halcyon, Keyton, Aveo, Levande and RetireAustralia ILUs are over-55s with a wide range of digital literacy. Specify large-display thermostats with simple up-down-off interface, controls reachable from seated position (under 1.2 m above finished floor), and simple zone selection rather than complex VAV programming. Many operators also specify a 'whole house' override at a single button — useful for residents who find zone-by-zone management cognitively demanding.
The retirement village ILU pipeline is one of the largest residential HVAC ductwork volumes in Australia. A single Stockland Halcyon masterplan stage of 100-200 ILUs uses 14,000-25,000 m2 of duct, fabricated over 14-20 weeks. Lendlease Retirement Living and Keyton stages of similar scale are similar. The duct fabrication discipline is residential-grade — high volume, tight schedule, simple construction — exactly the workload that an SBKJ SBAL-V auto duct production line is designed to consume.
NDIS SDA HVAC by design category
NDIS Specialist Disability Accommodation has design-category-specific HVAC obligations under the SDA Design Standard. The standard itself does not prescribe specific HVAC technical numbers — it prescribes outcomes and characteristics. Translating those outcomes into duct sizing, diffuser selection and material choice is the job of the mechanical consultant working with the SDA Assessor.
Improved Liveability category
Improved Liveability serves residents with sensory, intellectual or cognitive impairment including autism spectrum disorder, sensory-processing differences and intellectual disability. The HVAC priority is calming, predictable and controllable environments. Specify NR-25 acoustic in bedrooms, independent temperature control in each bedroom with simple bedhead-mounted controllers, HVAC selection that does not produce sudden loud cycling or temperature swings — modulating-fan FCUs or inverter-driven systems with smooth ramp profiles, low-velocity diffuser selection to minimise audible airflow noise, and enhanced filtration MERV 11 minimum for residents with respiratory sensitivity.
Some Improved Liveability designs also incorporate 'sensory rooms' or 'calm rooms' — small dedicated spaces designed for sensory regulation and calming during agitation episodes. Sensory rooms have their own HVAC requirements including very low NC criteria (NC-20 in some specifications), generous outside air, and integration with sensory equipment (sometimes including projected light, vibration platforms, and ambient sound — none of which are HVAC but all of which interact with HVAC noise budget).
Fully Accessible category
Fully Accessible serves residents with significant physical impairment using wheelchairs or mobility aids. The HVAC implication is mainly accessibility-driven control design — controls reachable from seated position (under 1.2 m above finished floor), large-display thermostats for residents with reduced manual dexterity or vision, and clear circulation around HVAC service equipment. The duct construction and material are residential-grade, identical to standard residential design.
Robust category
Robust serves residents whose behaviour patterns may include intentional damage to building elements. The HVAC implication is durability and tamper-resistance. Specify concealed or protected ductwork in resident-accessed zones — duct in ceiling void only, no exposed plenum boxes, no exposed grilles at low level, tamper-resistant grille fixings requiring tools to remove, controls in lockable enclosures in some designs, and impact-resistant diffuser selection. The duct fabrication is standard galvanised but with more attention to fixing detail.
High Physical Support category
High Physical Support serves residents with very high physical support needs, including those who use ceiling-mounted hoist tracks for transfers between bed, wheelchair, bathroom and lounge. The dwelling has hoist tracks installed in bedrooms, ensuites, and the main living area — typically as a 'figure of eight' or 'cross' configuration in the bedroom and ensuite, and a continuous track in the living area.
The HVAC implication is ceiling-void coordination. The duct routing must coordinate with hoist track positions, structural framing and clear-height requirements. Typically 50 mm minimum clearance between duct soffit and hoist track lower edge is specified, and the duct routing avoids running directly above the hoist track for any extended distance (because future hoist track repositioning becomes more difficult). The mechanical consultant works with the hoist track designer at the coordination stage to lay out the ceiling void.
Post-COVID infection control upgrades
The COVID-19 pandemic transformed aged care HVAC from a back-of-house mechanical system into a front-of-mind public-health system. The Royal Commission's findings on the 2020-2021 Victorian aged care outbreaks placed specific responsibility on facility design and operation, and the major operators have since adopted enhanced HVAC standards across new builds and progressive retrofits.
The five most common post-COVID HVAC upgrades in Australian aged care are: filtration upgrade to MERV 13 minimum across all FCU and AHU coils serving resident-occupied spaces (up from MERV 8 baseline), outside-air rate increase to AS 1668.2 prescribed plus 25 percent in many designs with continuous (not demand-controlled) outside air to bedrooms, in-duct UVGI installation in central plant air-handling units in some flagship facilities (UVC lamps in the supply air stream upstream of coils, deactivating airborne pathogens), IAQ monitoring at the bedhead and in common areas with CO2, particulate (PM2.5), temperature and humidity sensors reporting to a real-time dashboard at the nurses' station, and tighter duct leakage class on outside air ducts (Class B or C rather than Class A) to ensure outside air provision is delivered to the room not lost in transit.
The duct fabrication implications are significant. Heavier coil pressure drop from MERV 13 filtration requires slightly larger duct sections to achieve the same noise budget. More access doors are required for filter changes and UVGI lamp replacement, increasing fabrication labour. Tighter leakage class requires TDF flange with rolled-on continuous sealant and a slower, more deliberate duct fabrication process. IAQ sensor mounting requires sensor wells in the supply duct, fabricated as part of the metalwork rather than retrofitted. SBKJ machinery — particularly the SBAL-V auto duct line and the TDF flange former — is configured to handle these upgrades without a manufacturing slowdown.
Materials and construction
The duct material decision in an aged care project is driven by service environment and operator preference. The principal materials are:
Galvanised G90 sheet to AS/NZS 4254 — the default for general aged care HVAC supply and return, including residential rooms, common areas, corridors and central plant supply ductwork. Gauge selection follows AS/NZS 4254 by duct dimension and pressure class — typically 0.6 mm for low-pressure residential rooms, 0.8 mm for medium-pressure trunk ducts, and 1.0-1.2 mm for high-pressure central plant. Coating is G90 (275 g/m2 zinc on each side) for service inside heated, dry building envelopes.
Internally lined acoustic galvanised duct — used on the final 2-3 m of supply and return runs in noise-critical spaces (bedrooms, palliative suites, dementia secure units). Lining is typically 25 mm or 50 mm fibreglass with perforated metal facing or coated facing (to prevent fibre shedding into the air stream). The lining adds insertion loss of 5-15 dB depending on frequency.
304L stainless steel — used for kitchen exhaust hood, plenum and exhaust duct construction. 304L offers food-grade corrosion resistance, weldability, and high-temperature performance. Construction is continuous welded seam (TIG or pulsed MIG) for grease-tight duct rated to AS 1668.1. Material thickness is typically 1.2-1.6 mm depending on pressure class and span.
Food-grade stainless — used for therapeutic kitchen interfaces where residents handle food preparation. The construction is similar to 304L commercial kitchen exhaust but with attention to surface finish (no sharp edges, smooth weld profile) and material origin (mill-certified food-contact stainless).
304 stainless or smooth internal galvanised — used for laundry exhaust where lint and humidity create operational challenges. The smooth internal surface reduces lint accumulation and the corrosion resistance handles the persistent moisture environment.
Material traceability and mill certification is required for all stainless work and is best practice for galvanised supply and return. SBKJ supplies material traceability documentation as part of every aged care project deliverable.
Smoke-spill and fire-rated duct
NCC Class 9c facilities require smoke-spill ductwork for the smoke-control and exhaust systems specified in the building's fire engineering report. AS 1668.1 governs construction. Smoke-spill ductwork is typically constructed to leakage Class C tight-leakage standard, with TDF flange connections sealed with rolled-on continuous Class C sealant, and all transverse joints with Class C rated sealant. The duct material is galvanised steel with thickness selected per AS 1668.1 by duct dimension and pressure class — typically 1.0 mm minimum.
Fire-rated duct for shafts passing through fire-rated walls or floors is constructed using fire-rated wraps or boards (calcium silicate or proprietary fire-rated systems) wrapped around the standard galvanised duct, certified to the specific fire resistance level (FRL) specified in the building fire engineering report — typically -/120/120 or -/180/180 in aged care.
The smoke-control fans serving these ducts are typically high-temperature rated (300 °C / 60 minutes or 400 °C / 90 minutes depending on classification) and selected against the smoke-spill duct system curve. The TDF flange former on the SBKJ machinery line — particularly when configured with the rolled-on sealant station — is well-suited to the volume of smoke-spill duct fabrication an aged care project demands.
Sustainability and Net Zero alignment
The major Australian aged care and retirement living operators have published Net Zero commitments aligned with the Climate Active and Science Based Targets framework. BUPA has committed to Net Zero by 2040 across its global operations including Australian aged care. Stockland has committed to Net Zero scope 1 and 2 by 2028 across the Stockland portfolio including Halcyon. Lendlease has committed to absolute zero carbon by 2040 including Lendlease Retirement Living and the Keyton joint venture.
The HVAC ductwork contribution to portfolio Net Zero is modest in absolute terms — most carbon comes from operational energy not embodied carbon — but ductwork pressure drop directly drives fan energy, which is one of the largest operational electrical loads in an aged care facility. Specify ductwork at moderate aspect ratio (under 4:1) to minimise pressure drop, generous fitting radii on bends and branches, smooth internal construction on long-run trunk ducts, and sealed leakage class appropriate to the application — leaky ducts waste energy.
NABERS does not currently have a specific aged care rating tool — the NABERS rating system covers offices, hotels, retail, data centres and residential (apartments) but not aged care or retirement village. Some operators voluntarily benchmark against NABERS Residential or apply Green Star Healthcare-extended assessment. Stockland and Lendlease in particular run portfolio-level energy intensity benchmarking that the HVAC engineer should be aware of when selecting equipment and ductwork.
Funding model and capex flow
Residential aged care construction is funded by a combination of resident contributions and operator equity or debt. Resident contributions flow through Refundable Accommodation Deposits (RADs) — lump-sum deposits paid by residents to the operator on entry, refunded on exit minus prescribed deductions — and Daily Accommodation Payments (DAPs) — daily rental-equivalent payments from residents who choose not to pay a RAD, calculated using the Maximum Permissible Interest Rate (MPIR) set by the Department of Health.
Operators use the RAD pool as a low-cost capital source for new builds and major refurbishments. The HVAC capex on a new aged care home typically represents 8-15 percent of total construction cost — a substantial line item on a A$30-60 million development. Operators seeking the most efficient HVAC capex outcome work with HVAC consultants who understand the trade-off between capex and operational energy, and with HVAC contractors who source machinery and ductwork at competitive landed cost.
Retirement village construction is operator-funded — Stockland, Lendlease, Aveo, Levande, Keyton and the other major operators fund development from balance sheet or project finance, with capex amortised over the village's deferred management fee revenue stream. NDIS SDA construction is funded by SDA-funded developers — typically with a mix of equity and debt, repaid via NDIS SDA payments to participants flowing through to dwelling owners.
Operator brand standard summaries
The following summaries capture the broad direction of major operator HVAC brand standards as of 2026. Always verify against the operator's current published brand standard at project briefing — these standards evolve.
BUPA Aged Care — MERV 13 minimum filtration, NC-25 in resident bedrooms, individual setpoint control via bedhead controller, IAQ monitoring at bedhead, AS 1668.2 prescribed outside air plus 25 percent post-COVID, single-resident-with-ensuite as standard.
Regis Healthcare — emphasis on dementia secure unit acoustic performance and palliative care comfort; modulating-fan FCUs in palliative suites; sensory garden integration on outside-air intake side.
Estia Health — strong infection-control documentation regime; IAQ monitoring with operational dashboard at nurses' station; commissioning and ongoing performance verification expected to a documented frequency.
Opal HealthCare — single-room standard, bedhead controller, common-area NC-30 to NC-35, central kitchen 304L stainless exhaust to AS 1668.1.
Calvary Healthcare — Catholic mission with integrated hospital-aged care models in some locations; ASHRAE 170 informed treatment rooms where clinical procedures are performed; chapel acoustic NC-25 to NC-30.
Catholic Healthcare, Uniting, Anglicare, RSL LifeCare, IRT, Bolton Clarke, Mercy Health, HammondCare — not-for-profit operators with mission-driven specifications. HammondCare in particular has published thought leadership on dementia care environment design that is reflected in their HVAC brand standard.
Stockland Halcyon — residential ducted reverse-cycle systems, accessible-features oriented controls, Net Zero alignment with Stockland portfolio. Multi-stage masterplans of 100-300 ILUs.
Lendlease Retirement Living, Keyton — Net Zero alignment with Lendlease commitment, residential-grade systems, accessible controls, integration with Lendlease portfolio energy benchmarking.
Aveo, Levande — Brookfield-owned portfolios with operational efficiency emphasis; standardised HVAC specifications across the portfolio for procurement leverage.
RetireAustralia, Living Choice, Ingenia, GemLife — diverse portfolios with regional variation; verify the specific village brand standard at project briefing.
NDIS SDA providers — Cocoon SDA Care, Casa Capace, Lighthouse Infrastructure, MyIntegra, Summer Housing — design-category-specific HVAC obligations under the SDA Design Standard; high attention to Improved Liveability acoustic and HVAC sensitivity for autism and sensory-processing residents; coordination with hoist tracks in High Physical Support dwellings.
Major project pipelines 2026
The Australian aged care, retirement and disability construction pipeline at 2026 is substantial. The post-Royal Commission reform package accelerated single-room conversion programmes across the major operators, and the federal NDIS SDA funding has driven a sustained wave of new-build SDA dwellings.
BUPA Aged Care is in the middle of a multi-year capital programme converting shared rooms to single rooms across its 70 Australian homes, with several greenfield builds and major refurbishments under way. Regis Healthcare runs a similar programme. Estia Health, now privately held after takeover, has continued its development pipeline at a measured pace.
Stockland Halcyon continues to roll out new villages — Halcyon Bayside, Halcyon Promenade, Halcyon Glades and others — each adding 100-300 ILUs to the Stockland retirement portfolio. Lendlease Retirement Living and the Keyton joint venture have major masterplan stages under way across NSW, VIC and QLD. Aveo and Levande are running portfolio refurbishment programmes alongside new development.
NDIS SDA new-build construction has been one of the most consistent residential property segments since the SDA Design Standard release. Cocoon SDA Care, Casa Capace and the larger SDA-funded developers run portfolios of 5-bedroom group homes across Greater Sydney, Greater Melbourne and Greater Brisbane, with steady pipeline visibility supported by NDIS funding flow.
SBKJ machinery for aged care projects
SBKJ machinery suits aged care, retirement and SDA projects across the volume range — from a single 3-bedroom SDA group home through to a 500-ILU retirement village masterplan stage. The principal machines are:
SBAL-V auto duct production line in galvanised configuration — for general aged care HVAC supply and return ductwork. Single-shift output from an SBAL-V is 8-12 m2 per minute of finished rectangular duct depending on size mix, which translates to roughly 3,500-5,500 m2 per shift on a typical aged care duct mix. An 80-bed home using 22,000 m2 of duct fabricates in 4-6 weeks of single-shift production or 2-3 weeks of two-shift production. The SBAL-V handles all standard aged care duct sizes from 200 mm x 200 mm up to 1,500 mm x 1,000 mm, with TDF flange forming integrated.
SBTF spiral tubeformer — for round duct in central plant supply risers, restaurant exhaust risers, and laundry exhaust risers. Round duct is more compact than rectangular for the same flow capacity, saves ceiling void in tight aged care plant rooms, and is sometimes preferred for outside-air risers to minimise pressure drop. The SBTF runs galvanised, 304 stainless or 316 stainless coil and produces continuous spiral seam tube from 80 mm to 1,500 mm diameter.
TDF flange former — for tight-leakage flange connections on smoke-spill ductwork and on outside-air ducts where Class B or C leakage is specified. The TDF flange former integrates with the SBAL-V line or runs as a standalone station. SBKJ supplies the rolled-on continuous sealant station as an option for Class C leakage performance.
304L stainless variant of the SBAL-V or as a dedicated stainless duct line — for kitchen exhaust hood, plenum and exhaust duct construction. Stainless duct fabrication runs at lower throughput than galvanised (typically 60-70 percent of galvanised rate) because of welding requirements, but the same SBKJ machinery base supports both with tooling changeover.
The SBKJ machinery selection for an aged care project is driven by total ductwork volume, project schedule, and material mix. A typical 80-bed home with 22,000 m2 of galvanised duct, 800 m2 of 304L stainless kitchen exhaust, and 1,200 m2 of round duct is well-served by an SBAL-V (galvanised), an SBTF (round), and a small dedicated stainless fabrication station — three machines that together fabricate the entire HVAC duct package in 16-22 weeks of single-shift production.
Specifying for Australia — geographic and climate factors
Australia's geographic spread from Cairns to Hobart drives significant HVAC design variation. Tropical and sub-tropical zones (Far North Queensland, Top End) require aggressive dehumidification and corrosion protection on outdoor ductwork. Temperate zones (Greater Sydney, Greater Melbourne, Greater Adelaide, Perth) have broader seasonal swings — heating in winter, cooling in summer — and HVAC design covers both extremes. Cool temperate zones (Tasmania, Victorian Alps regions) prioritise heating performance, and ducted reverse-cycle systems must be sized for winter heat output not summer cooling.
Aged care operators with national portfolios (BUPA, Regis, Estia, Calvary, Catholic Healthcare, Uniting, Anglicare) standardise HVAC brand standards as far as practical but allow regional variation on equipment selection — for example, larger heating coils in Tasmanian facilities, tropical-rated outdoor equipment in Far North Queensland, and corrosion-protected outdoor ductwork on coastal sites. Stockland Halcyon, Keyton and Lendlease Retirement Living similarly run regional adaptations on a base brand standard.
SBKJ ships finished ductwork from the Australian metalwork supply chain to projects across all states and territories. The SBKJ machinery base — installed at metalwork shops servicing Greater Sydney, Greater Melbourne, Greater Brisbane, Greater Perth and the regional centres — fabricates duct to the regional climate specification and ships to the project site by road or rail.
Acoustics — the single biggest specification challenge
Acoustics is the single biggest specification challenge in aged care HVAC and the area where most projects under-perform against brand standard. The NC-25 target in residential bedrooms and dementia secure units is genuinely difficult to achieve and requires coordinated specification across fan selection, duct sizing, diffuser selection and acoustic lining. A misaligned acoustic specification can fail commissioning even when every individual component meets its specification.
The five dominant noise paths in an aged care HVAC system are: fan noise transmitted along the supply duct (controlled by fan selection at low primary speed and acoustic lining on supply duct), regenerated noise at fittings (controlled by duct velocity under 5 m/s in trunks and under 3 m/s in final runs, and generous fitting radii), diffuser face velocity noise (controlled by diffuser selection at the low end of the manufacturer's velocity range), break-out noise through duct walls (controlled by duct construction gauge and external lagging in plant rooms), and cross-talk between rooms via shared return paths (controlled by separate return paths or acoustic baffles).
Achieving NC-25 in a residential bedroom requires all five paths to be controlled. The most common failure is duct velocity in the final run being too high — designed at 4-5 m/s when it needs to be under 3 m/s for an NC-25 budget. This shows up at commissioning, the contractor blames the FCU, the FCU manufacturer blames the diffuser, the diffuser manufacturer blames the duct, and the project ends up with an NC-30 result that the operator accepts under protest. The fix at the design stage is duct sizing at 3 m/s in the final run for NC-25 spaces — which means slightly larger duct sections, which is exactly the trade-off post-COVID enhanced filtration also implies.
Commissioning and ongoing verification
Commissioning an aged care HVAC system is more than balancing dampers and verifying setpoints. Post-Royal Commission expectations include documented commissioning of infection-control performance (filter installation, leakage testing, outside-air rate verification), acoustic verification at NC criteria, IAQ baseline measurement, and ongoing performance verification with documented frequency.
Specify the commissioning scope to include: duct leakage testing on all smoke-spill ducts and on outside-air ducts where Class B or C leakage is specified — typical test procedure follows AS 1668.1 or SMACNA leakage test method, filter installation verification with mill-certificate filter media and pressure-drop measurement at install, outside-air rate measurement at each occupancy zone with calibrated flow grid or capture hood, noise verification at NC criteria with calibrated sound level meter at the bedhead and in common areas at design flow, IAQ baseline measurement with calibrated CO2, particulate, temperature and humidity sensors, and setpoint and control verification with each room thermostat tested at minimum and maximum setpoint.
Ongoing verification expectations vary by operator. BUPA, Estia and Regis typically expect annual filter replacement at minimum (more frequent in clinical or high-traffic spaces), six-monthly IAQ trend review, and three-yearly recommissioning of major plant. The duct itself, if fabricated to leakage class specification with TDF flange and Class B or C sealant, should require minimal ongoing intervention beyond periodic inspection.
Lead time and procurement schedule
Australian residential aged care developments typically run 18-24 months from main contract award to practical completion. The HVAC contractor's procurement schedule typically looks like:
Months 1-3 — design coordination, mechanical services drawings, equipment schedule, ductwork specification, smoke-control engineering report sign-off, NCC Class 9c compliance schedule.
Months 4-6 — equipment procurement (FCUs, AHUs, fans, controllers), ductwork fabrication procurement (SBAL-V capacity booking with the metalwork shop), long-lead items (smoke-control fans, IAQ sensors).
Months 7-10 — main HVAC equipment delivery, ductwork fabrication peak (16-22 weeks of single-shift production for an 80-bed home), site installation start.
Months 11-14 — site installation peak — duct hanging, equipment placement, electrical wiring, controls integration.
Months 15-18 — commissioning and balancing, leakage testing, acoustic verification, IAQ baseline measurement.
Months 19-24 — practical completion, defects liability period, commissioning data handover to operator, transition to operational facility management.
NDIS SDA group home projects run on a compressed 9-14 month schedule with HVAC fabrication of 800-1,400 m2 over 4-6 weeks. Retirement village ILU stages run 14-20 months with ductwork volumes scaling linearly with ILU count.
Operator FAQ — answering the questions we get most often
Aged Care Quality Standards
The Aged Care Quality Standards are the eight outcome-based standards every accredited residential aged care provider must meet, set by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. Standard 5 (Organisation's service environment) is the most directly relevant to HVAC, requiring that the service environment is welcoming, easy to understand and access, and that residents are safe and comfortable. The HVAC delivery must demonstrably contribute to comfort, dignity and safety. Operators document the HVAC contribution in their accreditation evidence.
NDIS SDA
Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) is NDIS-funded housing for participants with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. The SDA Design Standard published by the National Disability Insurance Agency specifies design requirements per category — Improved Liveability, Fully Accessible, Robust, High Physical Support. SDA Provider Certification requires sign-off by an SDA Assessor and an Independent Accredited Building Surveyor. HVAC obligations are category-specific.
Materials
Galvanised G90 sheet to AS/NZS 4254 for general aged care HVAC supply and return; 304L stainless steel for kitchen exhaust; smooth internal galvanised or 304 stainless for laundry exhaust. Mill certificates supplied for all stainless work. Smoke-spill ducts in galvanised constructed to AS 1668.1 leakage Class C with TDF flange and continuous Class C sealant.
Infection control
Post-COVID best practice is MERV 13 minimum filtration on FCU and AHU coils serving resident-occupied spaces, AS 1668.2 prescribed outside air plus 25 percent in many designs, in-duct UVGI in some flagship facilities, IAQ monitoring at bedhead, and tight leakage class on outside-air ducts.
Lead time
An 80-bed aged care home typically uses 18,000-26,000 m2 of duct fabricated over 16-22 weeks of single-shift SBAL-V production. NDIS SDA group home (5-bedroom dwelling) uses 800-1,400 m2 over 4-6 weeks. Retirement village ILU stage of 100 ILUs uses 14,000-20,000 m2 over 14-18 weeks.
Retirement village vs aged care
Retirement villages are private over-55s housing under state-based Retirement Villages Acts, built as Class 1a or Class 2 dwellings with residential HVAC. Aged care is funded by the Australian Government via the Aged Care Act, regulated by the ACQSC, built as Class 9c with heavier fire, smoke and ventilation obligations. NDIS SDA is NDIS-funded disability housing under the SDA Design Standard, built as Class 1 or Class 3 with category-specific obligations. Different specifications, different machinery configurations, different fabrication schedules.
How SBKJ supports aged care, retirement and SDA projects
SBKJ is the HVAC duct machinery supplier of choice for sheet metal contractors serving the Australian aged care, retirement and disability construction sector. We support projects in three ways.
Machinery sized to project mix. The SBAL-V auto duct line in galvanised configuration handles 90 percent of the aged care, retirement and SDA duct fabrication volume. The SBTF spiral tubeformer handles round duct for central plant risers and exhaust risers. Stainless variants and dedicated stainless stations handle the kitchen and laundry exhaust workload. We size the machinery to the contractor's project pipeline, not just the brochure throughput.
Australian after-sales support. SBKJ Group is headquartered in Box Hill North VIC with English-speaking after-sales engineering, 12-hour reply commitment from a mechanical engineer (not a salesperson), one-year wear-parts kit with every machine, and 10-year parts continuity guarantee. See our Australia regional page for full Australian support contact and service details.
Industry-specific design references. The hospital and healthcare HVAC guide covers ASHRAE 170 informed treatment rooms applicable to aged care medical rooms. The residential HVAC guide covers the residential-grade design language applicable to retirement village ILUs and SDA dwellings. The hotel and hospitality HVAC guide covers the dining, lounge and common-area design language applicable to aged care common areas. The hospital industry page sits alongside this aged care guide as part of the SBKJ healthcare design suite.
Get an SBKJ quote for your aged care, retirement village or NDIS SDA project →
FAQ
What standards govern HVAC ductwork for aged care facilities in Australia?
NCC Class 9c (Aged Care Building), AS 1668.2 (mechanical ventilation and air-conditioning), AS 1668.1 (fire and smoke control), AS/NZS 4254 (ductwork construction), and the Aged Care Quality Standards from the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. ASHRAE 170 is referenced where the facility has a medical clinic or treatment room. NDIS Practice Standards apply to SDA dwellings.
What is the difference between aged care, retirement village and Specialist Disability Accommodation?
Residential aged care is Government-funded, ACQSC-regulated, NCC Class 9c. Retirement villages are private over-55s housing under state Retirement Villages Acts, built as Class 1a or 2. NDIS SDA is NDIS-funded disability housing under the SDA Design Standard, built as Class 1 or 3 with design-category-specific obligations.
Which Australian aged care operators run the largest HVAC duct programmes?
BUPA Aged Care, Regis Healthcare, Estia Health, Opal HealthCare, Allity, Calvary Healthcare, Catholic Healthcare, Uniting, Anglicare, RSL LifeCare, IRT, Bolton Clarke, Mercy Health, HammondCare. Retirement: Stockland Halcyon, Lendlease Retirement Living, Aveo, Levande, Keyton, RetireAustralia. NDIS SDA: Cocoon SDA Care, Casa Capace, Lighthouse Infrastructure, MyIntegra, Summer Housing.
What materials are used for aged care ductwork?
Galvanised G90 to AS/NZS 4254 for general supply and return; 304L stainless for kitchen exhaust to AS 1668.1 and NFPA 96 principles; smooth internal galvanised or 304 stainless for laundry exhaust; food-grade stainless for therapeutic kitchen interfaces. Smoke-spill ducts in galvanised to AS 1668.1 leakage Class C with TDF flange and continuous Class C sealant.
How has post-COVID infection control changed aged care HVAC?
MERV 13 minimum filtration across FCU and AHU coils, AS 1668.2 prescribed outside air plus 25 percent in many designs, in-duct UVGI in some facilities, IAQ monitoring at bedhead, tighter duct leakage class on outside-air ducts (Class B or C). Heavier coil pressure drop drives slightly larger duct sections.
What are the noise criteria for aged care HVAC?
Bedrooms NC-25, dementia bedroom NC-25, palliative care suite NC-25, lounge and dining NC-30 to NC-35, corridor NC-35, central kitchen NC-40 to NC-45. Achieving NC-25 requires duct velocity under 3 m/s in the final run and acoustic lining on the last 2-3 m of supply and return.
What is the typical HVAC lead time for an aged care project?
18-24 months from main contract award to practical completion. HVAC fabrication for an 80-bed home uses 18,000-26,000 m2 of duct over 16-22 weeks of single-shift SBAL-V production. NDIS SDA group home 800-1,400 m2 over 4-6 weeks. Retirement village 100-ILU stage 14,000-20,000 m2 over 14-18 weeks.
Does NDIS SDA have specific HVAC requirements?
SDA design categories drive different obligations. Improved Liveability requires enhanced acoustic and HVAC sensitivity for autism and sensory-processing residents. Fully Accessible requires reachable controls. Robust requires concealed and tamper-resistant ducting. High Physical Support requires ceiling-void coordination with hoist tracks. Provider Certification by SDA Assessor and Independent Accredited Building Surveyor before NDIS funding flows.
