The First Facility Management Blog

Staircases are just staircases, right? Well, not always. Sometimes, a clever designer taps the talents of a diligent engineer, and the results can be pretty impressive. Take a look…

This one would be confusing at first. Start with the wrong foot and you are in trouble.

Here’s a practical idea…the two bottom steps both open up for additional storage.

Unnaturally natural….

Another great use of space (my personal favorite)…
Going up:

And going down:

Better on paper than in practice?

Another example where footing is essential.
Going up (left) and down (right):

Colorful, but nauseating. Does this one come with a sick bag?

Does this pass code?

Or this?

This looks more like a sliding board than a staircase.

Perhaps this is what it looks like inside the condo for the Keebler elves?

Many thanks to Evelyn Schwartz for submitting this post.

Drafters of the International Code Council’s International Green Construction Code (IGCC) are nearing completion of the first ever integrated green code for traditional and high performance commercial buildings, set for a public release in March.

“This will be the first time code officials, owners, and designers will have an integrated regulatory framework to put into practice that meets the goal of greening the construction and design of new and existing buildings,” according to Code Council CEO Richard P. Weiland. “Only a code that is usable, enforceable, and adoptable will have the capability of impacting our built environment in dramatic ways.”

The IGCC is designed specifically to integrate and coordinate with the other International Codes already being enforced by governmental code officials at all levels. All 50 states and more than 20,000 U.S. jurisdictions use the International Codes developed by the Code Council for safety and sustainability.

The International Codes also serve as the basis for construction of federal properties around the world, and as a reference for many nations outside the United States. The International Code Council is a non-profit membership association dedicated to building safety, fire prevention, energy efficiency, and sustainable building construction and performance.

The IGCC links the International Codes to a public process, bringing together diverse areas of expertise to create the first integrated, regulatory framework for green commercial buildings. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and ASTM International are Cooperating Sponsors. Other organizations with representation on the IGCC drafting committee, known as the Sustainable Building Technology Committee (SBTC), include the U.S. Green Building Council, the Green Globes Initiative, and more than a dozen others.

“We are not an industry or advocacy organization, but rather the same folks who have written the building codes used throughout the United States and around the world for decades,” said Code Council Board Member and SBTC Chair Ravi Shah. “From the beginning of our code development earlier this year, we’ve had 29 SBTC members and countless work group members from across the spectrum of government, industry, non-profit and academia weaving their views into a consensus code,” Shah said.

The Code Council’s consensus process invites continual public input from all perspectives, culminating in a final approval from code officials to ensure the best possible rate of compliance. A critical element of the IGCC is that it is consistent and coordinated with existing International Codes that span the spectrum of the industry from building, to energy conservation, fire safety, plumbing, mechanical fuel gas and existing buildings among others.

“Voluntary systems have led market transformation and paved the way for a regulatory framework that includes specialized standards addressing highly technical areas around installation and equipment performance,” Weiland said. “And with our Cooperating Sponsors at the AIA and ASTM International providing the essential perspective of the design and standards communities, there is finally an option on the table that a local, state or federal code official can actually use, enforce and adopt to impact the built environment.”

The first public version of the IGCC is expected to inform many policy discussions currently underway. At the same time, the IGCC will undergo continual maintenance with the solicitation of additional public comments thru hearings being conducted in August. The IGCC will then go through another round of review, comments and public hearings in 2011 for the publication for the 2012 ICC Family of Codes.

The International Code Council and the Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are teaming up to reduce the loss of life and property caused by natural disasters. A memorandum of understanding calls for FEMA and the Code Council to support the maintenance, adoption, outreach, training, and enforcement of disaster-resistant building safety codes to reduce human and economic losses resulting from natural hazards including hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, and flooding.

“Our agreement with FEMA addresses the role of First Preventers, code and fire officials who prevent harm by ensuring compliance with building safety codes before a disaster occurs,” said Code Council Immediate Past President Steve Shapiro, who called for creating the Council’s Disaster Support Program. “Our members also have the experience and capability to provide help to communities during those moments when skilled extra hands are needed during response and recovery from natural disasters. Code compliance and permits are vital to a community’s safety.”

“Hurricane Katrina taught us some valuable lessons about partnerships,” said FEMA Administrator David Paulison. “Our pre-disaster partnerships are key and this new, formalized partnership with ICC will go a long way toward making America safer. Mitigation—reducing disaster losses before events strike—is more important than ever in today’s economy. Small investments now will provide big returns when disasters do strike. We’re glad to be partnering with the Code Council. Bringing together all of the energy, creativity, and knowledge our two organizations represent is a big step forward in reducing America’s risk profile.”

Under the agreement, the Code Council will provide direct assistance to FEMA on a range of programs designed to reduce losses during natural disasters. FEMA will participate in the Council’s code development process, using its data to help develop future codes that increase public safety. The organizations also will jointly develop a strategy to promote code adoption to enhance disaster resistance in the built environment.

FEMA and the Code Council have a history of cooperating successfully to enhance public safety. FEMA was one of the first federal agencies to recognize the benefits of model building codes and to participate in the code development process. The two organizations worked together to incorporate the National Flood Insurance Program floodplain management regulations and the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Recommended Provisions in safety codes developed by the Council.

On May 12, 2009, the Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards voted to adopt a stretch energy code for the state that would make new commercial buildings under 100,000 square feet up to 30% more energy efficient than base standards and reduce carbon emissions by nearly 40%. The new rules will mean significant energy cost savings for building owners and tenants who pay some of the highest electricity rates in the country.

The stretch code applies to new and existing building types including residential, but the standards related to new, small- and mid-sized commercial buildings are based on a protocol developed by New Buildings Institute (NBI) called Core Performance. NBI, a nonprofit organization working to improve the energy performance of commercial buildings, created Core Performance as a direct path to high performance building that does not require modeling. The Core Performance Guide describes a set of simple, discrete design strategies that, when applied under an integrated design process, result in an energy efficient building that is cheaper to operate and more comfortable for occupants.

Several Massachusetts utilities and energy service providers (including National Grid, NSTAR, Western Massachusetts Electric Company, and Cape Light Compact) currently offer financial and technical support for commercial buildings designed using Core Performance. NBI has been working along with Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships to support efforts to bring this new stretch code to the state.

“Buildings consume two-thirds of the U.S. power supply and emit nearly half of the greenhouse gases,” said Dave Hewitt, NBI executive director. “Reach [or stretch] codes are the best way to lock in the energy savings and carbon reduction benefits of high performance building and bring those numbers down. Massachusetts is the first state to take this important and necessary step. We expect others will take note of Massachusetts’ leadership and follow suit,” he said.

In addition to energy savings, the new code could mean new jobs, according to early findings of a study by the Institute for Market Transformation (IMT). The study showed that 30% improvements in building energy efficiency add little to initial construction costs, but shift spending from materials to labor. IMT estimates that advanced codes, such as those adopted in Massachusetts, could create more than 20,000 new jobs nationally.

Effective immediately, municipalities in the state can choose whether to adopt the code, 780 CMR 120.AA, as a more energy-efficient alternative to the base energy code. The Core Performance basic requirements in the stretch code include efficiency standards for measures such as window performance, lighting controls, mechanical equipment efficiency and demand-control ventilation. Local government entities could go further and adopt up to 14 measures described in Core Performance as “enhanced performance strategies.” These include additional improvements such as heat recovery, night venting, daylighting, plug load controls and appliance efficiency.

Alternatively, a project team could provide documentation that the building’s energy requirements are at least 20% below the ASHRAE 90.1-2007 standard, a model energy code developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers.

Earlier this month, International Code Council members debated and voted on code change proposals shaping the future of building safety and fire prevention. The hundreds of approved code changes will be included in the 2009 version of the International Codes, used to guide construction in all 50 states and Washington, DC.

“We are exploring improvements in the areas of structural and fire safety alongside sustainable and energy efficient building, all of which will have enormous impact on virtually every aspect of safety in the built environment,” said Code Council President Adolf Zubia, Fire Chief for Las Cruces, NM.

Several code changes will be directed at residential structures, but among the major changes relevant to facility professionals in commercial buildings are:
• A new standard, ANSI/APSP-7-06, brings the I-Codes in line with the Virginia Graeme Baker Federal Pool and Spa Safety Act of 2007. It addresses suction entrapment avoidance in swimming pools, wading pools, spas, hot tubs, and catch basins.
• For skyscrapers, buildings greater than 420 feet in height, an additional stairwell is required to assist firefighter access to upper floors. The additional stairwell is not required if the building includes special elevators that can be used to evacuate occupants during an emergency.

Members did not approve the comprehensive energy package in EC-14 purporting a 30% increase in energy efficiency. However several energy efficiency-related changes were approved, including:
• A requirement to install programmable thermostats in new homes and buildings with forced air furnaces.
• Maximum fenestration u-factors are lowered in warmer climates to reduce the amount of heat loss or gain through windows and doors to lower energy costs during cooling periods.
• An increase in insulation R-values for walls, floors, and basements in cold climates to achieve heating and cooling savings.

The International Code Council, a membership association dedicated to building safety and fire prevention, develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including schools. Most U.S. cities, counties, and states choose the International Codes, building safety codes developed by the International Code Council.

The International Code Council (ICC) has approved 23 building and fire code changes based on recommendations from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The recommendations were part of NIST’s investigation of the collapses of the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York on 9/11.

With the changes implemented, future buildings (especially tall structures) should be increasingly resistant to fire, more easily evacuated in emergencies, and safer overall, states the October 1, 2008 release from NIST. The changes, adopted at the ICC hearings held Sept. 15 to 21, 2008, in Minneapolis, MN, will be incorporated into the 2009 edition of the ICC’s I-Codes (specifically the International Building Code, or IBC, and the International Fire Code, or IFC), a model code used as the basis for building and fire regulations promulgated and enforced by U.S. state and local jurisdictions. Those jurisdictions have the option of incorporating some or all of the code’s provisions but generally adopt most provisions.

“We applaud this historic action by the ICC—and the tremendous effort by NIST and its WTC investigation team that led to it,” said Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez. “The lessons learned from the tragic events of 9/11 have yielded stronger building and fire codes for a new generation of safer, more robust buildings across the nation.”

The new codes address areas such as:

• Increasing structural resistance to building collapse from fire and other incidents
• Requiring a third exit stairway for tall buildings
• Increasing the width of all stairways by 50% in new high-rises
• Strengthening criteria for the bonding, proper installation and inspection of sprayed fire-resistive materials (commonly known as “fireproofing”)
• Improving the reliability of active fire protection systems (i.e., automatic sprinklers)
• Requiring a new class of robust elevators for access by emergency responders in lieu of an additional stairway
• Making exit path markings more prevalent and more visible
• Ensuring effective coverage throughout a building for emergency responder radio communications.

Not Approved, But To Be Reconsidered
There were nine building and fire code change proposals consistent with the NIST WTC investigation recommendations that were not approved for the 2009 edition of the I-Codes but will be considered for resubmission at a later date after being amended. These are:

• Requiring buildings more than 420 feet high to be designed to survive a building contents fire to burnout without more than local failure of the structural frame.
• Requiring structures not to suffer a collapse disproportionate to a local initiating failure caused by an accident or incident.
• Requiring a risk assessment and acceptable mitigation of risks for buildings more than 420 feet high with an occupant load greater than 5,000; for buildings with an occupant load greater than 10,000; and for buildings determined to be at higher than normal risk.
• Requiring use of a new standard for conducting wind tunnel testing.
• Requiring installation of stairway communication and monitoring system at every fifth floor of each exit stairway. Also requiring, in buildings more than 75 feet high, a video surveillance system in each exit stairway, elevator lobby, elevator hoistway and elevator machine room to enhance situational awareness of emergency responders.
• Requiring fire safety and evacuation plans for all occupancies and buildings where required by the International Fire Code (the International Building Code is more widely adopted across the country than the IFC; this would ensure all situations are covered).
• Requiring detailed schematic building plans, including an approved Building Information Card, to be located in fire command centers to show the type of construction, stairway access and pressurization, fuel oil tank and hazardous materials locations, standpipe availability and locations, in addition to typical floor plan and details of the building core, means of egress, elevator locations, fire protection systems, firefighting equipment and fire department access.
• Limiting the length of horizontal transfer corridors used to connect a stairwell to 50 feet or less in buildings more than 75 feet high.
• Allowing the option to design buildings more than 420 feet high using the ICC Performance Code, instead of the high-rise provisions of the International Building Code. This change will allow the performance-based NIST WTC recommendations to be considered in a holistic manner.

A chart tracking the progress toward implementing all of the NIST WTC recommendations can be found at http://wtc.nist.gov.

The California Building Standards Commission yesterday announced the unanimous adoption of the nation’s first statewide green building code. The code is a direct result of Governor Schwarzenegger’s direction to the Commission and will lead to improved energy efficiency and reduced water consumption in all new construction throughout the state, while also reducing the carbon footprint of every new structure in California.

“Once again California is leading the nation and the world in emissions reductions and finding new ways to expand our climate change efforts,” said commission chair Rosario Marin. “The commission should be commended for bringing everyone to the table including representatives of the construction and building trades industry, environmental groups and labor organizations, and achieving something no other state has been able to.”

The new California Green Building Standards Code goes beyond the current building standards. These new statewide standards will result in significant improvements in water usage for both commercial and residential plumbing fixtures and target a 50% landscape water conservation reduction. They also push builders to reduce energy use of their structures by 15% more than current standards. The new standards declare the minimum California will accept in environmentally friendly design; local jurisdictions and builders who wish to do more are applauded.

In addition to the new codes adopted, Governor Schwarzenegger’s Green Building Initiative (Executive Order S-20-04) directs state agencies to reduce energy use at state-owned buildings 20% by 2015, while also reducing the impact state buildings have on climate change. His executive order directs that new state construction and major renovation projects should meet a minimum of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Silver certification in order to save energy, conserve water, divert waste from landfills, and cut greenhouse gas emissions. To date, 13 state buildings have achieved LEED certification.

According to the USGBC, buildings nationwide account for 70% of electricity consumption, 39% of energy usage, 12% of potable water consumption, 40% of raw materials usage, 30% of waste output (136 million tons annually), and produce 39% of associated greenhouse gases (CO2).

California’s new building standards will result in increased water and energy savings through a combination of more efficient appliances, use of efficient landscapes, and more efficient building design and operation. The code also encourages the use of recycled materials in carpets and building materials, and identifies various site improvements including parking for hybrid vehicles and storm water plans.

Additionally, the new code contains standards for single-family homes, health facilities, and commercial buildings. The code is composed of optional standards that will become mandatory in the 2010 edition of the code. This adjustment period will allow for industry and local enforcement agencies to prepare for, and comply with, the new green building standards.

Moving forward after 2010, the California Green Building Standards Code will be updated on an annual basis to ensure that the latest technology and methods of construction have been incorporated to always maintain a high level of standards.