Chapter 1: About the Codes

Keep in Mind....

 Not all of the codes, standards and regulations you read

about will be enforced in every code jurisdiction.
 The local jurisdiction will decide which code and
publication to use.
 Some standards my not be required, but you might
want to follow them to meet Health, Safety and Welfare
concerns.
 Federal regulations are the only regulations that are
consistent in every jurisdiction. They are mandatory
because they are the law.
The Code of Hammurabi is a black diorite stone,
seven and a half feet in height and six feet in
circumference. It was discovered by J. De
Morgan and V. Scheil during their excavations at
Susa, the Edomite capital, in 1901-2. The fifty-
one columns of cuneiform text was written in the
Akkadian (Semitic) language. The top of the stele
has an engraved picture of Shamash, the sun
god, seated on a throne handing a scepter and
ring to Hammurabi. This is to symbolize the divine
origin of the great code of laws which king
Hammurabi received. This picture would reinforce
the motivation for keeping these laws.
 The document was over 300
paragraphs long and included sections on
social, moral, religious, commercial and civil
law. Kings of the day would post large
monuments listing their laws with an
accompanying statue carving of themselves to
identify the law with the king. Hammurabi was
no different in this practice. There were many
copies of this law erected throughout the
kingdom. Usually in the temples dedicated to
the local gods. It now resides in the Louve, in
Paris.
 The code of Hammurabi made the builder
accountable for the houses he built. If
one of his buildings fell down and killed
someone, the builder would be put to
death.
 First on record was in 1625 in what was
know as New Amsterdam (New York).
 Addressed fire prevention and governed
the types of roofing materials that could
be used to protect from chimney sparks.
 Chicago fire of 1871 caused many large
cities to create their own municipal
building codes.
 1905 Recommended Building Code, helped create the
three original model codes

 1973, congress passed the Consumer Product Safety

Act and formed the Consumer Product Safety
Commission. It’s goal is to prevent the necessity of
federal regulations by encouraging industry self-
regulation and standardization. This created a number
of new standards-writing organizations not affiliated
with the federal government. (NFPA, ANSI)
 A collection of regulations, ordinances, and
other statutory requirements put together by
various organizations. Once adopted by each
jurisdiction, they become law. They are
enforced on a local level and sometimes state
level

 They provide for a minimum level of

performance, adequate standards of practice
and uniformity of workmanship.
 Ensure public health and safety throughout a
building.
 Most have come into play “after-the-fact” as a
learning experience from a major tragedy.
 They are primarily concerned with
o Construction requirements
o Hazardous materials or equipment used in the building
o 75% of all codes and standards deal with fire
o Energy conservation
o Accessibility
 National Building Code (NBC) published by
BOCA (Building Officials Code Administration

 Standard Building Code (SBC) published by

Southern Building Code Congress International (SBCCI)

 Uniform Building Code (UBC) published by the

International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO)
 Published by the International Code Council
 First established in 1994 and published in 2000.
 Most current edition is 2012 with a new edition
expected in 2015.
 Legacy codes are no longer being updated.
IBC is updated every 3 years.
 Some MS Jurisdictions adopted the code in
2003.
 This code has now replaced the three model
codes.
 At the start of every project, what
code and which edition of the code
is being enforced in the jurisdiction
of your project.
 California: earthquakes
 Northern states: freezing temperatures
 South: hurricanes, tornados
 The IBC has incorporated these differences
into one manual.
 Common Code Format (page 16)
 Started in 1994
 Organizes each of the codes into a similar
format to include (See table, page 20)
o Chapter titles
o Chapter content
o Sequence of chapters
 Life Safety Codes are organized by
occupancy classification
 Tells you the precise requirements such
as the height of a handrail
 Most existing codes are prescriptive
 Performance based codes will not replace
prescriptive codes. They will only apply to
a part of a project.
 New to the IBC
 In the past, codes were typically
very descriptive, indicating a
precise requirement.
 The code will specify the goal that
should be met but not provide a
specific description as to how that
must be achieved. This allows for
more creative design solutions.
 ICC and NFPA now include fire codes.
 IFC International Fire Code
 UFC Uniform Fire Code (NFPA 1 ®)
 These address building conditions in relation to
hazardous conditions that could cause a fire or
explosion.
 Designers will address chapters on:
o Means of Egress
o Interior Finishes
o Furnishing and Decorative Materials
 One of the first codes published by NFPA.
 Revised every 3 years
 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012 and 2015 versions
 It is NOT a building code. It focuses on removal or
evacuation of all persons from a building by protecting
them from fire, smoke and toxic fumes.
 Uses the Manual Style Format. First section
concentrates on broad topics, description of
occupancies, means of egress and fire protection
 Second part is divided into chapters by occupancy type
for new and existing buildings
 Most widely used fire code
 43 states adopted statewide - some jurisdictions in
all states.
 Some cities and states have stricter fire codes:
Boston, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey and
New York
 Verify with your jurisdiction which Fire Codes are
required and the edition that is currently adopted.
 In the past, all three codes had their own
plumbing code
 International Plumbing Code (IPC) is
updated every 3 years
 When designing an interior, you may refer
to this code to help determine the number
of fixtures required for your project.
 Now a part of the International Mechanical
Code (IMC)
 As a designer, you will rarely refer to this
code
 National Electrical Code (NEC)
 Most widely used
 Published by NFPA
 Latest editions are 2011, 2014, 2017
 You will rarely refer to this code
 Both ICC and NFPA have energy conservation
codes
 ICC: International Energy Conservation Code
(IECC) (2009)
 NFPA: NFPA 900 Building Energy Code (BEC)
 All states must have energy codes in place that
are at least as strict as the 2004 edition of
IECC.
 MS adopted ASHRAE 90.1 2010
When designing the interior, the energy codes
will include
 requirements to maximize the amount of
daylight
 Minimize the lighting densities
 Require the use of occupant-sensing controls.
 They also cover the design, selection, and
installation of energy-efficient mechanical
systems, water-heating systems, electrical
distribution systems and illumination systems.
Sustainability Codes

 Fairly new concept in the US

 These codes focus on how the building affects the
environment
 Some energy codes address sustainability
 Some plumbing codes address water-efficiency
 Some states require rating systems such as LEED.
 California was the first state to develop a
comprehensive sustainability code - California Green
Building Standards Code (CGBSC)
 ICC has developed the International Green Construction
Code (IGCC)
 International Residential Code (IRC)
 First available in 1998
 Based on the former One-and Two-
Family Dwelling Code
 More current editions are 2012 and 2015
 Applies to construction of single family,
duplex and townhouses
 The building codes and the Life Safety
Code (LSC) dedicates an entire chapter to
existing buildings.
 ICC published most current edition: 2009
and 2013
 Verify if the IEBC (International Existing
Building Code) is adopted in your
jurisdiction.
 A number of federal agencies and
departments work with trade
associations, private companies and
the general public to develop federal
laws for building construction
 These regulations are published in the
Federal Register (FR) and the Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR)
 Published daily, but not all rules are
enforceable laws
 Once they have been passed into law,
they are published in the CFR annually.
 The federal government regulates its own
buildings.
 Federal buildings have their own
regulations and do not use state or model
codes. (VA hospitals, military bases, etc)
 They can pass federal legislation creating
a law that supersedes all other state and
local codes and standards. The ADA is
an example.
 Developed by the Dept. of Justice
 4-part federal legislation become law on
th
July 26 , 1990.
 Enforceable in 1992 and 1993.
 Is a comprehensive civil rights law that
protects individuals with disabilities in
the area of
o Employment (Title 1)
o State and Local gov’t services and
transportation (Title II)
o Public accommodations and commercial
facilities (Title III)
o Telecommunications (Title IV)
 Any facility that offers public accommodation
such as commercial facilities as well as
business that offer food, merchandise or
services to the public must follow this regulation
 It is published in the Americans with Disabilities
Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG)
 ANSI A117.1 is another accessibility guideline
(see page 32) ADA may not be the only
accessibility guidelines you have to follow.
 Federal legislation enforced by the Dept. of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD)
 Protects the consumer from discrimination in housing
when buying or renting
 Pertains to housing with four or more dwelling units
 As of 1991, these buildings must have accessible public
and common areas and ground floor units must be
accessible and meet specific construction requirements.
 The FHA is often considered the residential version of
the ADA.
 OSHA
 Passed in 1970 to protect the American
employee in the work place.
 It regulates the design of buildings and interior
projects where people are employed.
 Employer must furnish a safe working
environment or can be fined.
 It also stresses the safe installation of materials
and equipment to ensure the safety of
construction workers.
 A standard is a definition, a recommended
practice, a test method, a classification, or
a required specification that must be met.

 They have no legal standing until they

become referenced in a code which is
adopted by a jurisdiction.
 Many are developed by independent
standards-writing organizations
 Some are developed by government
agencies
 Trade associations
 National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA)
 American National Standards Institute
American Society for Testing and
Materials (ASTM)
 Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
 Business and Institutional Furniture
Manufacturers Association (BIFMA)
 American National Standards Institute is a
private corporation founded in 1918.
 Coordinates voluntary standards.
 Does not develop standards, but rather
approves the standards developed by
other organizations
 Most common standard for designers is
ANSI A117.1
 One of the largest standards
organizations
 Develops a wide variety of standards for
fire protection.
 They test textiles to fire fighting equipment
to means of egress design
 Many of the standards are referenced in
the LSC and the NEC
 ie: NFPA 701
 American Society for Testing and
Materials was formed in 1898 as a
nonprofit corporation
 In 2002 became know as ASTM
International
 Oversees the development of standards
but does not actually perform the tests.
 These standards are used to help specify
materials and assure quality
 ASTM E-84 (Steiner Tunnel Test)
 A testing agency that approves products
such as building materials, upholstered
furniture (systems furniture), electrical
products
 Approved products will carry the UL mark
 Codes set the minimum criteria. You can
follow stricter requirements at any time.
 They are not always perfectly clear.
When two requirements are similar, go
with the strictest requirement
 Not all of them will apply to every design
situation.
 Work with the code official to resolve
discrepancies.