Building Codes in the US
Professor J. Garrett
Carnegie Mellon University
Outline
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History of Codes in the US
Model Building Codes
Federal Regulations
Standards Organizations
Local Codes
Summary
Credits
• This lecture uses material from:
– The Codes Guidebook for Interiors
by Sharon Koomen Harmon
for John Wiley and Sons
History of Codes in the US
• First Code : Code of Hammurabi
– 18th century B.C. Babylonia
– If someone dies in building, builder dies, too
• In U.S., first codes were for fire prevention
– 1625: code governed roof coverings
– 1800: large cities developed municipal codes
– 1905: first National Building Code
U.S. Codes Today
• Thousands of separate codes exist
– e.g., model building codes adopted and tailored for
individual jurisdictions
• Wide variety of federal regulations (e.g. ADA)
• Hundreds of standards organizations and
regulatory associations (e.g., BOCA, AISC)
Codes
• Collection of:
– definitions of terms;
– rules governing properties and/or system behavior;
– rules and procedures to be followed
• Usually created by a code writing organization
and adopted by a jurisdiction
• Provide minimum levels of safety
and performance
Types of Codes
• Codes for Systems
– buildings, bridges, railways, etc.
• Codes for Design using a Material
– steel, concrete, masonry, timber
• Codes for subsystems
– electrical, plumbing, elevators
Types of Codes, con’t
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Specifications for Material Properties
Standards for Testing Materials
Standards for Assumptions about Loads
Zoning Codes
Health Codes
When Codes Become Law
• Municipalities do not write their own codes
• They adopt and customize model codes
– Pittsburgh adopts the BOCA model code with
about 10% of model being tailored for city
• Code becomes a law only after adoption
• Many municipalities may not adopt most
recent version of a code
Model Building Codes
• Currently three model building codes
– Build Officials and Code Administrators
(BOCA) National Building Code (NBC)
– Southern Building Code Congress International
(SBCCI) Standard Building Code (SBC)
– International Conference of Building Officials
(ICBO) Uniform Building Code (UBC)
Where in U.S. Codes are Adopted
From Harmon 1997
Model Building Codes
• Model Building Codes reference other codes
– plumbing code, mechanical code, fire prevention
code (usually generated by code organization)
– codes from nationally recognized organizations
• All three models are similar
• However, codes address regional differences:
– climates and environmental issues
– cold temperatures and seismicity
New Model Building Codes
• New editions of each published every 3 yrs
• BOCA, ICBO and SBCCI are now
cooperating to produce the Common Code
Format
Model Plumbing/Mechanical Codes
• Each model code organization has its own
model plumbing and mechanical code:
– BOCAs National Plumbing Code (NPC) and
National Mechanical Code (NMC)
– SBCCI Standard Plumbing Code (SPC) and
Standard Mechanical Code (SMC)
– ICBO Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) and
Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC)
Life Safety Code (LSC)
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
• LSC is not a building code
• It concentrates on problems involving the
removal of all persons from a building fire:
– occupancies
– means of egress
– fire protection
• Most widely adopted fire code
National Electric Code (NEC)
• Published by NFPA
• Only model electrical code published
• Basis for all electrical codes adopted in
most jurisdictions
• Specifies the required number and locations
of electrical outlets and switches and how
they should be installed
Federal Regulations
• In addition to building codes, the federal
government:
– regulates its own buildings; and
– passes federal legislation that supercedes all
other state and local codes
– E.g., Americans with Disabilities Act
Americans with Disabilities Act
• Comprehensive Civil Rights Law
• Protects individuals with disabilities in the
area of:
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employment
state/local gov’t services and public transportation
public accommodations and commercial facilities
telecommunication services
ADA for Buildings
• Addresses accessibility of public facilities
– handicap entrances to buildings
– vertical conveyance systems
– handicap restrooms
• Strictly enforced for new construction
• Enforced for existing structures when it
undergoes renovation
Fair Housing Act (FHA)
• Enforced by Department of Housing and
Urban Development
• Protects consumer from discrimination in
housing when buying or renting
• Does contain some accessibility
requirements
Occupational Safety and Health Act
• Laws passed to protect American employees
• Regulates the design of buildings where
people are employed
• Regulations cover such things as:
– electrical system interfaces
– protection from exposure to toxic chemicals
Standards Organizations
• Standards are developed by:
– trade associations
– government agencies
– standards writing organizations
• Standards themselves have no legal standing
• They are referenced by codes and become law
when adopted by a jurisdiction.
National Fire Protection Association
• Originally founded in 1896 to develop
standards for the early use of sprinklers
• Develops and published over 250 standards
• These standards allow codes to provide
instructions without going into detail:
– SBC references NFPA 10: Portable Fire
Extinguishers, which then is part of code
American National Standards Institute
• Publishes the American National Standard
• Originally founded in 1918
• Coordinates voluntary standards developed
by other organizations
• It attempts to avoid duplications
• Represents every facet of trade, commerce,
organized labor and the consumer.
American Society for Testing Materials
• Formed in 1898
• Manages the development of standards from
over 29000 worldwide members
• 600 Building industry related standards
• ASTM standards are used to:
– specify materials and assure quality,
– enhance safety, promote trade and
integrate production processes
American Society of Heating, Refrigeration,
and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
• Standards writing org. established in 1959
• Establishes standards for performance
levels in HVAC and refrigeration systems:
• uniform testing methods
• design requirements
• standard practices
• Energy Conservation in New Building
Design is basis for most energy
building code provisions in U.S.
Underwriters Laboratory
• A testing agency with worldwide labs
• It tests devices, systems and materials:
– to see if they meet specific requirements
– to determine their relation to life, fire, hazards
• If a standard exists, UL uses it.
• If no standard exists, it develops one.
American Institute of Steel Construction
• Standards writing organization representing
the U.S. steel fabrication industry
• Address Structural Steel Design
• Main standards:
– Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD)
Specification
– Allowable Stress Design (ASD) Specification
American Concrete Institute
• Standards writing organization representing
the U.S. concrete industry
• Addresses Structural Reinforced Concrete
Design
• Main standard:
– ACI 318 Design Specification
Local Codes
• Building codes are adopted as local building
codes (which may vary across borders)
• Zoning Regulations
• Health Codes
• Historic Preservation Regulations
• Local Municipal Ordinances
Summary
• The code situation in this country can be
best described as distributed:
– over jurisdictions (states, counties and cities)
– over standards writing organizations
– over model code development organizations
• Thousands of codes and standards and
hundreds of organizations involved