Washington, D.C. – The International Code Council in collaboration with ASTM International is making it easier for the building safety industry to adopt a digital-first strategy through the Code Council’s Digital Codes Premium Complete. As part of the update, subscribers, at no additional cost, will have access to over 525 ASTM standards referenced in the 2021 International Codes (I-Codes). Every ASTM Standard that is referenced in the 2021 I-Codes is available in a read-only format.

The I-Codes are the most widely adopted set of building codes and standards in the world, ensuring the health and safety of people while helping communities meet sustainability goals. Both organizations have continued their missions of enhancing public safety by making the Digital Codes Premium Complete online offering a single source for building safety professionals to access numerous resources.

“We’re dedicated to providing our members with the best resources available in a convenient, easy-to-use platform,” said Mark Johnson, Executive Vice President, Content and Services Group, International Code Council. “Now more than ever, digital offerings are extremely important to our members. The Digital Codes Premium Complete subscription offering has become the preferred source for building safety professionals for their codes, standards and support publication needs. By adding over 525 standards from ASTM, the online digital platform will be the go-to online resource for industry professionals.”  

The Digital Codes Premium Complete offering was specifically developed in response to the ever-growing need for digital access to codes. As more remote users have off-site requirements for codes and standards, building safety professionals needed more readily available, digital options.

“Digital offerings have become vital over the last year and a half as the building safety industry continues to adapt to the new remote work environment,” said Stuart Radcliffe, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, ASTM International. “Digital Codes Premium Complete allows members and industry professionals access to hundreds of important ASTM Standards.”

The online offering now includes all Code Council digital publications and over a thousand referenced standards cited across the codes, allowing users quick access to standards.

To learn more about the Code Council’s Digital Codes Premium, visit codes.iccsafe.org.

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About the International Code Council
The International Code Council is the leading global source of model codes and standards and building safety solutions. Code Council codes, standards and solutions are used to ensure safe, affordable and sustainable communities and buildings worldwide.

About ASTM International

ASTM International positively impacts public health and safety, consumer confidence, and overall quality of life. Committed to serving global societal needs, ASTM integrates consensus standards – developed with international membership of volunteer technical experts – and innovative services to improve lives.

Washington, D.C. – The International Code Council will be hosting its Annual Conference, Expo and Public Comment Hearings at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, KY, from September 11 – 18, 2022. The event will welcome building safety professionals from around the world and feature keynote speeches, networking opportunities, educational sessions and the return of the Code Council’s Expo.

“As our 2022 conference begins, we welcome the opportunity to bring together professionals from all parts of the building safety industry to work towards our common goal of improving safety, sustainability and affordability through building codes and standards,” said Code Council Board of Directors President Cindy Davis, CBO. “With the return of the Code Council’s Expo and the inclusion of new activities and training, this year’s conference will prove to be an enlightening and memorable experience for all.”

Award-winning speaker and entertainer Michael C. Anthony will headline the Leadership Luncheon on Monday, September 12. He will demonstrate how to effectively use nonverbal communication and teach the audience how to become body language experts. Additionally, Gill Kernick, an expert in developing the leadership and organizational culture needed to prevent catastrophic events, will address attendees at the Global Building Safety Dialogue on Tuesday, September 13. Learn more about this year’s keynote speakers here.

From September 14 – 18, the Public Comment Hearings provide attendees with an opportunity to directly impact the 2024 International Codes (I-Codes), the most widely-used and adopted set of building safety codes in the world. During these hearings, government member voting representatives will vote on all the proposed rule changes for the Group B Codes. If you are unable to attend the hearings, you can watch the live stream here.

For more details about the code development process please visit our website. You can view the Public Comment Agenda and the hearings schedule here. Key infographics can be downloaded via the following links: How It Works and By the Numbers.

A special thank you to the 2022 Annual Conference major sponsors, which include the American Gas Association, The Home Depot, Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters, iPlanTables, Verisk, LiUNA, Lowes, and Willdan.

Visit www.iccsafe.org/conference for more information. Use the hashtag #ICCAC22 to join the online conversation.

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About the International Code Council   
The International Code Council is the leading global source of model codes and standards and building safety solutions. Code Council codes, standards and solutions are used to ensure safe, affordable and sustainable communities and buildings worldwide. 

Washington, D.C. – A broad coalition of industry, environmental, governmental and code development organizations encourage early adoption by states and localities of the 2024 International Building Code (IBC), International Fire Code (IFC) and International Mechanical Code (IMC), which now permit the use of A2L refrigerants. The recently approved code changes allow commercial and residential use of A2L refrigerants to replace high global warming potential (GWP) hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants.

The supply of HFCs, commonly used in refrigeration and air conditioning, will decrease 40 percent in 2024 due to the bipartisan American Innovation and Manufacturing Act (AIM Act)of 2020  and the corresponding Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that mandate a phasedown in GWP refrigerants by 2036. Most of the remaining supply will be used to service existing equipment currently installed in homes and businesses. The 2024 I-Code changes facilitate compliance with these requirements and support producers and refrigerant appliance manufacturers already transitioning to lower-GWP solutions such as A2Ls.

“State and local governments need to act now to enable next-generation refrigerants before older options get phased out,” said Matt Sigler, the Code Council’s PMG Executive Director. “The Code Council stands ready to partner with the construction industry to help them best navigate this positive change.”

Several major organizations, including the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), provided more than 7 million dollars to research and field test new, low GWP refrigerants, determining the A2L refrigerants are safe and effective replacements for the HFCs currently in use.

“We are very pleased with the Code Council’s support towards the use of next-generation refrigerants in vital HVACR equipment,” said AHRI President & CEO Stephen Yurek. “The entire supply chain must be ready for the 2024 reduction in supply. We are hopeful that this action, which validates the critical AHRI research into these new refrigerants, will spur states and localities to update their codes on an urgent basis to enable their use.”

Here are a few things jurisdictions should do right now:

• Read this background on A2Ls, which includes frequently asked questions. 
• On September 14, join an overview discussion with the Code Council regarding these changes.
• Learn more about the development of the I-Codes. 
• Access the A2L provisions from the 2024 I-Codes.  
• Share AHRI’s training on A2Ls with code officials and contractors.  
• Visit iccsafe.org to learn more about the International Code Council. 
• Implement code changes prior to the January 2024 40% reduction in supply given potential supply chain issues and delays. 

“It is very encouraging to see the ICC’s great progress in adopting updated model codes for alternative refrigerants,” said Christina Theodoridi, Senior Policy Analyst for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). “This is a critical step to enable climate-friendly cooling in our homes, office buildings, schools, supermarkets and more. Our work isn’t done yet. State and local code officials shouldn’t waste any time adopting the new codes in their respective jurisdictions.”

“Jurisdictions that adopt ICC codes can be confident that their citizens are protected by the best and most up-to-date standards. We applaud the way ICC has embraced technology-neutral, cost-effective climate friendly refrigerant alternatives,” said Kristen Taddonio, Senior Climate and Energy Advisor for the Institute for Governance of Sustainable Development (IGSD).

Additional organizations supporting the AIM Act and its implementation include the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the American Chemistry Council. 

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About the International Code Council
The International Code Council is the leading global source of model codes and standards and building safety solutions. Code Council codes, standards, and solutions are used to ensure safe, affordable, and sustainable communities and buildings worldwide.

About the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute
The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) is the trade association representing manufacturers of air conditioning, heating, commercial refrigeration, and water heating equipment. An internationally recognized advocate for the industry, AHRI develops standards for and certifies the performance of many of these products. AHRI’s 300+ member companies manufacture quality, efficient, and innovative residential and commercial air conditioning, space heating, water heating, and commercial refrigeration equipment and components for sale in North America and around the world.

Washington, D.C. – The International Code Council and ASHRAE announced joint development of a standard to assess carbon emissions across the entire building life cycle.

Proposed ASHRAE/ICC Standard 240P – Evaluating Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and Carbon Emissions in Building Design, Construction and Operation, willprovide a whole life carbon approach to support emissions reductions in buildings. The proposed standard establishes how to measure and verify the greenhouse gas (GHG) and carbon emissions of a building, or group of buildings, over the entire life cycle. The goal is to provide consistent procedures and data to be referenced by policies, codes, and other standards that address new and existing building performance.

“There is growing demand around the world for consistent building decarbonization guidance that acknowledges the impact of carbon emissions transpired at the beginning of the construction phase to demolition, and accounts for the changes in building operation and performance over time,” said 2022-23 ASHRAE President Farooq Mehboob, Fellow Life Member. “This proposed standard will offer a comprehensive structure for evaluating energy use and supporting greenhouse gas emission reductions, as well as serve as a keystone towards harmonizing guidance within the global marketplace. We appreciate the Code Council’s partnership on this important standard.”

The proposed standard will cover:

• All buildings including existing and new, residential and commercial, and groups of buildings, or portions of buildings.
• Determination, including the calculation methodology and expression of building zero net GHG and zero net carbon status in building operations.
• Calculation of GHG and carbon emissions associated with on-site and off-site material, energy and carbon flows.
• Embodied GHG and carbon emissions of building materials and systems.

“Buildings and the building construction sector are responsible for about 40 percent of total CO2 emissions globally. As energy codes continue to deliver increased reductions in building operational energy use, a holistic approach that addresses the entire building life-cycle is essential,” said Code Council Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO. “The Code Council is dedicated to supporting communities worldwide in meeting their energy and decarbonization goals; the proposed standard 240P will be an essential tool towards reducing the impacts of buildings and adapting to an ever-changing climate. We look forward to our continued work with ASHRAE to provide new resources and help communities meet, and advance, their energy efficiency and decarbonization goals.”

A call for new committee members has been issued to develop proposed Standard 240P. Those interested in serving on the committee can find more information online, here. Applications are due on September 26, 2022.

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About the International Code Council

The International Code Council is the leading global source of model codes and standards and building safety solutions. Code Council codes, standards and solutions are used to ensure safe, affordable and sustainable communities and buildings worldwide.  

About ASHRAE

ASHRAE is a global professional society committed to serving humanity by advancing the arts and sciences of heating ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration and their allied fields. ASHRAE and its members are dedicated to promoting a healthy and sustainable built environment for all, through strategic partnerships with organizations in the HVAC&R community and across related industries.