The First Facility Management Blog

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.

For the construction industry, it has been one month since officials said goodbye to the old New York codes. The 2008 New York City Codes went into effect across all five boroughs on July 1, 2008.

The first major modernization of the city’s building codes in nearly 40 years; the 2008 New York City Codes are based on the 2003 International Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas and Fire Codes. The codes can be purchased from the International Code Council at this link.

 “Any code that’s designed to protect the public safety in a way that developers, homeowners, and others in the building process can understand is a breath of fresh air,” said Rick Bell, FAIA, executive director of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) New York Chapter.

Bell explained that adopting the new codes in New York City is important for several reasons, but especially because more firms in New York are practicing nationally, even globally. The new codes, he said, coordinate better with those used in other jurisdictions.

“Codes at home were so different from codes in every other city in the land,” Bell said. “Bringing the International Building Code to New York provides greater flexibility and comparability. It means that now, when architects move to work in New York from other areas, they’ll be trained and familiar with how to look up the code. That’s very important.”

“It’s interesting, because one of the things I’m finding when I look at a lot of the reference standards is they’re all modern reference standards,” said Ernie Conrad, P.E., LEED, AP; principal of Landmark Facilities Group and board liaison for professional members at Building Owners and Managers (BOMA) New York. “What a thought!”

Conrad explained the new codes reference modern standards that incorporate updated scientific data. “The new codes reference a more recent edition of the AISC [American Institute of Steel Construction] Steel Construction Manual, enabling architects and engineers to use updated formulas and properties when designing in steel,” said Gary Higbee, AIA, director of Industry Development for the Steel Institute of New York.

The 2008 New York City Codes also include updated materials acceptance criteria. As long as a particular material or equipment meets the necessary laboratory approvals—often already nationally attained—specifiers won’t have to resubmit it through New York’s materials acceptance program.

Higbee added, “This important feature and its associated changes will facilitate using new products and materials—something widely considered to result in construction savings and enhanced occupant safety.”

“It was a magic day when New York City officially started using the I-Codes,” said Conrad. “The city is getting safer; no question about it.”

The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation that will help communities across the country adopt and administer building codes to save lives and protect property. The Community Building Code Administration Grant (CBCAG) Act, sponsored by Congressman Dennis Moore (D-KS), would provide awards to local governments to establish and enforce building safety and fire prevention codes.

CBCAG funds would be used to recruit, hire, train, and equip “First Preventers,” building and fire safety officials who prevent harm by ensuring compliance with safety codes before disasters occur. The bill now goes to the Senate.

“We are very excited that the House of Representatives passed the CBCAG Act,” said International Code Council CEO Rick Weiland. “This legislation provides desperately needed resources to many vulnerable communities that do not have the trained personnel or tools to translate safety codes into proper compliance. With the bill moving through the Senate, we are inching closer to the major goal of supporting our First Preventers in the vital roles they play in protecting the public through implementation of building and fire safety.”

“Government at all levels is recognizing the central role in public safety performed by code adoption and code compliance,” said Code Council President Steve Shapiro, who is director of codes compliance for Hampton, VA. “The safety value of building and fire codes as well as the essential job done by code officials, America’s First Preventers, to prevent harm to people and property come into sharper focus when lawmakers consider how best to protect the public at home, at school, at work and at play.”

In the Senate, the measure is expected to be referred to the Banking Committee where the Senate’s version of the bill is being considered. The Banking Committee could act on the House or Senate version of the bill before it passes out of committee and goes to the full Senate for a vote.

Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, along with Representatives John Boozman (R-AR) Michael Capuano (D-MA) Betty McCollum (D-MN), Robert Scott (D-VA) and Pete Stark (D-CA) are the latest co-sponsors of the Community Building Code Administration Grant Act of 2007 (CBCAG). If approved, CBCAG funds would be dedicated to training “First Preventers,” building and fire safety officials who prevent harm by ensuring compliance with safety codes before disasters occur. The bill would make possible recruitment and training in under-served communities in greatest need of officials to assure safety through code compliance.

“In so many communities, there simply aren’t enough resources for building safety,” said International Code Council CEO Rick Weiland. “You can adopt codes, but if you don’t have trained people on the ground to ensure compliance and provide support, it doesn’t matter.”

The CBCAG authorizes a competitive grant through the Department of Housing and Urban Development to help local governments hire, train, and equip code officials to save lives and protect property. Introduced last December by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Rep. Dennis Moore (D-KS), the CBCAG would aid communities that see their resources over-stretched (or lack resources altogether in the face of building booms or major rebuilds after a disaster).

“I firmly believe that this legislation will help ensure the safety of buildings across the country and ultimately will reduce the cost to the American taxpayer after a disaster,” said Congressman Moore. “Responsible building codes are a wise investment and the right thing to do for our communities, which is why I appreciate the Chairman’s support of this important initiative and look forward to working with him in the future to try to advance this legislation through the House.”

“It’s been proven over and over again that houses built to code and inspected properly stand up to natural disasters,” said Code Council President Steve Shapiro, Director of Codes Compliance for Hampton, VA. “Studies show that every federal tax dollar spent on mitigation grants saves the community four dollars in recovery and rebuilding costs.”

The CBCAG currently awaits action by the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity and the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. For more information, visit this link.

An enhanced online demonstration of SMARTcodes, the new, cutting-edge system to automate code compliance checking developed by the International Code Council, is now available for a test drive. Facility managers, building owners, other construction professionals, plan reviewers, and code enforcement officials—both in the building department and fire service—are encouraged to check out this new service.

Users will be able to check a building design automatically for code compliance and provide feedback to the Council via an online survey. Test drivers can choose from a number of Building Information Models (BIMs), place the building in different geographical locations, and pick a model checking software to run the code check.

With those simple selections, SMARTcodes will automatically check the building for compliance with envelope and lighting provisions of the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code, highlight areas of non-compliance, and provide a three-dimensional view and written description of the code violations. Users can run the demonstration multiple times to pick a new building, see the same building in another region of the country, or use different model checking software.

Visitors also can try out a manual code search feature, access specific code criteria, and drill down to relevant referenced standards, code commentary, and code interpretations, as well as related product listing directories that link directly to manufacturers’ product information.

The enhanced on-line demonstration, which will run for some time and be regularly updated, opens the door for construction industry professionals to try out auto code checking and manual code searching and provide suggestions to make SMARTcodes even better.

In the future, the Code Council team will expand the SMARTcodes demo with more BIM options, additional codes, and federal, state, and local code amendments. Further down the road, the SMARTcodes demo will exhibit an e-permitting feature that lets visitors prepare a simulated permit application and submit a BIM for permit and code check.

Eventually, the SMARTcodes enhanced demo will include the International Building, Fire, Mechanical, Plumbing, and Fuel Gas Codes. The final step before releasing SMARTcodes for commercial use will be a beta test where users can code check their own BIMS.

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 homes and schools. Most U.S. cities, counties, and states that adopt codes choose the International Codes developed by the International Code Council.

In late May, the International Code Council approved an ASHRAE proposal to incorporate the prescriptive ventilation rate procedure from ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2004, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, in the International Mechanical Code (IMC). The code establishes minimum regulations adopted and implemented by federal, state and local government agencies for mechanical systems in new buildings. Approval of ASHRAE’s Standard 62.1 ventilation rate calculation procedure marks a milestone for the high-profile mandatory language standard after years of development aimed at code adoption.

“With adoption of the new ventilation rates into building codes, we can expect to see reduced air intake flow in many previously over ventilated buildings,” says Dennis Stanke, chair of the 62.1 committee. “With adoption of the new calculation procedures, we can expect to see improved indoor air quality in many previously under-ventilated multiple-zone systems. Ventilation systems with lower outdoor rates compared to the current code reduce both first costs and energy costs, while system designs that account properly for air distribution within buildings result in better indoor air quality than designs based on over-simplified air distribution assumptions.”

The current ventilation criteria in the IMC are based on ASHRAE Standard 62-1989. Based on 20 years of IAQ research and experience with ventilation system design, ASHRAE introduced an improved version of the standard in 2004 to include the new rates and calculation procedures. This code change makes both the IMC and the 2006 Uniform Mechanical Code consistent with the ASHRAE standard.

“The new ventilation rate procedure requires designers to account for pollutant sources from both the building and its occupants, and to account for the efficiency of different ventilation systems when delivering outdoor air to the breathing zone,” Stanke said.

The new requirements will be included in the 2007 IMC Supplement.