Suspended Ceilings QLD provides fully NCC-compliant seismic restraint for suspended ceilings in QLD, ensuring your ceiling system is engineered and braced correctly for building movement and earthquake forces. If you require fully engineered seismic restraint suspended ceilings in QLD, our team can design, supply and install a compliant solution tailored to your building.
What Is Seismic Restraint?
Seismic restraint refers to the bracing and engineered fixings that stop a suspended ceiling from falling, cracking or shifting when a building moves during an earthquake.
For official compliance guidance, refer to the National Construction Code (NCC), which outlines the requirements for suspended ceiling restraint in Australia.
Recent Queensland Earthquake Example
On 16 August 2025, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck near Kilkivan — the largest on-shore quake in Queensland in 50 years. Tremors were felt across the Sunshine Coast, Gympie and parts of Brisbane.
This event confirmed why the NCC now requires all commercial suspended ceilings to be seismically restrained. In addition, it highlighted how even moderate tremors can affect large internal ceiling spaces.
Which Ceilings Need Seismic Restraint?
Any suspended ceiling in a Class 2–9 building must include seismic bracing. This includes:
- Retail shops
- Offices
- Schools & childcare
- Medical and healthcare
- Government buildings
- Industrial units
- Commercial tenancies
- Corridors & common areas
If it isn’t a detached house — it requires restraint.
Why Some Installers Skip Seismic Restraint (And Why It’s Dangerous)
Many installers still skip seismic restraint because it adds extra time, cost and engineering requirements. Unfortunately, this leads to non-compliant ceilings that appear fine on handover — but fail during building movement, high wind loads, or even minor earthquake activity. A ceiling collapse can damage services, stock, lighting, HVAC, and in the worst cases, injure anyone below. If a builder knowingly allows a ceiling to be installed without seismic restraint, both the installer and the builder may be held liable under the NCC.
Why Choose Suspended Ceilings QLD for Seismic-Compliant Ceilings
Suspended Ceilings QLD specialises in fully engineered, NCC-compliant seismic restraint for grid and concealed ceiling systems. We work closely with licensed structural engineers to design restraint systems tailored to each building, ceiling type and service load. We install Rondo, Studco and proprietary seismic components exactly to specification, ensuring your ceiling passes certification and performs safely during building movement. Many installers cut corners — we don’t. Compliance and safety are non-negotiable.
Technical Guide for Builders, Project Managers & Engineers
To comply with NCC and manufacturer requirements, suspended ceilings in commercial buildings must be positively restrained against lateral, vertical and torsional movement. Seismic systems typically include:
• Perimeter fixed connections – securing the grid to the wall at nominated points.
• Floating perimeter connections – allowing movement without transferring load into brittle wall surfaces.
• Lateral braces – steel brace arms or wires installed at calculated angles and spacing.
• Vertical restraints – preventing the ceiling from lifting during upward motion.
• Compression struts or engineered bracing posts – transferring load back into structure.
• Seismic separation joints – preventing large ceilings from tearing themselves apart.
• Service restraint – preventing ducting, lights and cable trays from swinging into the grid.
Correct design depends on grid type, ceiling weight, room dimensions, services load and building structure. We liaise with engineers to ensure all restraint points, brace spacing and fixing methods meet the seismic design and the manufacturer’s capacity tables.
Seismic ceiling design and installation must follow AS/NZS 2785:2020 (Suspended Ceilings – Design and Installation), the Australian standard governing compliant ceiling bracing.
Seismic Restraint for Grid & Tile Ceilings
Grid and tile systems require perimeter fixing and engineered bracing to stop horizontal and vertical movement. Acoustic tiles, non-acoustic tiles, lighting, HVAC and cable trays all add weight and movement risk, making restraint critical.
Seismic Restraint for Concealed Ceilings
Concealed ceilings rely on furring channel systems, which require bracing that ties directly into the building’s structure. This often includes compression struts, fixed connections to trusses, and restraint of HVAC and lighting loads.
Perimeter Brackets, Fixed Points & Floating Connections
Seismic-rated perimeter clips are used to either lock the ceiling to the wall (fixed) or allow controlled sliding movement (floating). These prevent the grid from tearing itself apart or damaging brittle plasterboard surfaces during building motion.
Recently Completed Seismic-Compliant Ceiling Projects in QLD
We install seismic-compliant ceilings across commercial, government, education and industrial projects. Here are examples of our recent work across Queensland:
Frequently asked questions
Seismic restraint is the engineered bracing and fixing system that stops a suspended ceiling from falling, cracking or shifting when a building moves. It includes perimeter fixings, bracing wires or struts, and specific details to control how the ceiling grid can move during an earthquake or structural deflection.
Any suspended ceiling installed in a Class 2–9 building will generally require seismic restraint under the NCC. This covers most commercial, retail, education, healthcare, industrial and public buildings. Detached houses are usually exempt, but shops, offices and tenancies almost never are.
Seismic design for suspended ceilings is based on NCC 2022, AS 1170.4 (Earthquake Actions) and AS/NZS 2785:2020 (Suspended Ceilings – Design and Installation). Manufacturer details from Rondo, Studco and other systems are also followed so that the ceiling is installed within their tested capacities.
Fixed perimeter points lock the ceiling grid to the wall so it can transfer load safely into the structure. Floating or sliding perimeter clips allow the grid to move slightly during seismic or building movement without cracking the walls or tearing the grid apart. A compliant seismic design uses a combination of fixed and floating connections in specific locations.
In many cases, yes. We can inspect an existing ceiling, review the structure above and work with an engineer to design a retrofit solution. This may include additional bracing, perimeter clips, hangers and restraint for services like ductwork and lighting. In some severely non-compliant ceilings, replacement may be more economical than partial upgrades.
We work with qualified structural engineers who design the seismic restraint layout and issue Form 15 (design certificate). Once the ceiling is installed to that design, the engineer or certifier can issue Form 16 (construction certificate). We coordinate this process so builders and owners have the documentation they need.
The extra time and cost depends on ceiling size, height, structure type and how much bracing is required. Seismic components do add some material and labour, but they are far cheaper than rectification work, damaged services or a failed inspection. We can price both standard and seismic-compliant options at quote stage so you can see the difference clearly.
We install seismic-compliant suspended ceilings across Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Toowoomba and regional Queensland. For larger projects we can travel further by arrangement.
Get a Fully NCC-Compliant Seismic Ceiling Installed Correctly
We provide fully certified seismic restraint systems across Queensland. — including Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Toowoomba and regional centres.
Whether you’re a builder, shopfitter, project manager or tenancy owner, we can design, supply and install a fully certified seismic ceiling system tailored to your project.
📞 Call now for a seismic-compliant ceiling quote
📧 Request a site assessment
📝 Ask about engineering certification and compliance documentation