California Green Building Code Adopted; Will Go Into Effect In 2010

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.

SFPE Supports Federal Legislation Aimed at Enhancing Building Safety

Each year in the United States, more than 3,000 people die, thousands are injured, and over $10 billion in property is lost as a result of fire. As a way to enhance public safety in buildings and reduce these losses from fire, a bill – the Community Building Code Administration Grant Act of 2007 – has been introduced in the U.S. Congress. The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) supports this bill that would improve building and fire code enforcement in jurisdictions throughout the country.

“Improved code enforcement will lead to better design and construction practices,” said Chris Jelenewicz, engineering program manager with SFPE. “As a result, our nation’s schools, hospitals, shopping centers, homes, and high-rise buildings will be better protected.”

This legislation will authorize a grant program through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. If enacted and funded, this law would provide locally matched federal grants to jurisdictions that seek to upgrade their local building and fire code administration and enforcement resources. These grants would provide $100 million per year over five years to help local governments employee building and fire code officials.

“Many fire protection engineers work as building and code officials to help build and maintain fire safe communities,” said Jelenewicz. “If this bill is enacted, many communities will have the opportunity to employee fire protection engineers as part of a community’s code enforcement team.”

This House version of this legislation was sponsored by Congressman Dennis Moore (Kansas) and was referred to the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee (H.R. 4461). The Senate version (S. 2458) was sponsored by Senator Mary Landrieu (Louisiana) and was referred to the Senate Banking Committee.

In Darkness, Where is the Light?

China has tried for years to show Western society that it is a modern nation, adding McDonald's, replacing bicycles with cars, erecting glass office towers, and inviting the world to see it all when Beijing hosts the Olympics in August. This presents a superficial first impression as the Chinese government hides its third world characteristics behind a curtain of capitalism and advancement.

The 7.9-magnitude earthquake which struck the Sichuan province earlier this week and its resulting destruction is a result of what happens when a rapidly developing country refuses to learn from its past and ignores its citizens. For centuries, China has been one of the most active earthquake zones in the world. The deadliest earthquake in modern history struck Tangshan in 1976, registering 7.8 on the Richter Scale (although some estimates outside of China have it as high as 8.2) and "officially" claiming the lives of a quarter of a million people. That estimate is low, and several reports state nearly 750,000 people perished as a result of that disaster.

That quake from over 30 years ago forced the national government to create tougher building codes. Weimin Dong of Risk Management Solutions, who has served on technical committees at the Earthquake Engineering Institute in California and studied earthquake-related insurance issues in China, told Newsweek's Katie Paul about the construction problem:

China's earthquake design code was not enforced until 1978...Before 1954, there was no design code. From 1964 to 1978, there was a very rudimentary design code. After 1978, that was a wake up call. But in a lot of rural areas, a lot of the buildings were old and were built before that. The requirement for intensity seven (on a scale of 1-10, with a 10 building to withstand the most severe earthquake) is only for new buildings. Many of the buildings in the area were not designed for earthquakes at all.

Why were so many structures designed only to withstand a seven? Dong explained that much of it has to do with expense, "You have to have larger beam sizes and everything else, so it's a cost consideration. After the Tangshan quake, China did spend a lot of money to retrofit brick buildings...So when you go to China, you see all these older brick buildings; there are concrete columns on the corner and ring beams around the buildings to try to keep the building from collapsing. They did a lot of this kind of retrofitting nationwide, but mostly in the cities."

For all the complaining that goes on about codes and regulations and the related construction costs, sometimes having too many people looking out for your safety beats having no one care. It is much better to have to follow the local fire inspector toting a clipboard than walking next to a casket carrying your child.

Shoddy building practices and ignorance of code enforcement contributed to the loss of over 20,000 people this week, while several thousand more remain unaccounted for underneath the cement of schools and apartment buildings. Can you imagine what it must be like to have to search for your loved ones in the aftermath of the devastation while you look up and see a government building standing as undisturbed as ever?

The pros and cons of building codes are a part of everyday life for facility managers (fms). The rules affect how fms do their jobs, and love them or despise them the codes are not going away any time soon. How do building codes affect you daily? Has the earthquake made you reassess how you view codes? Please post your comments.