 The government establishes requirements and standards to protect people from unsafe living and working conditions.

 -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. Keep in Mind....

In 1800 B.C. the Amorite king, Hammurabi, took the throne of the new Babylonian dynasty. Immediately he began to expand his new empire to eventually include Assyria and northern Syria. Hammurabi was a great military leader and lawgiver. In the first year of his reign Hammurabi fulfilled a promise to the Babylonian god Marduk and established an extensive law system which encompassed nearly every area of ancient life..

 1905 National 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)

 What are codes:  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)

 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.

 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.

 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

 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 interior, you may refer to this code to help determine the number of fixtures required for your project.

 National Electrical Code (NEC)  Most widely used  Published by NFPA  Latest edition is 2005, 2008 and 2011  You will rarely refer to this code

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 state 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 2006, 2009,and 2012  Applies to construction of single family, duplex and townhouses

 A number of federal agencies and departments work with trade associations, private companies and the general public to develop federal laws for building construction

 Developed by the Dept. of Justice  4-part federal legislation become law on July 26 th,  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)

 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

 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.