ICC Global Solutions – What We Do
Encouraging a holistic approach to assessing building safety regulatory capacity building needs, the ICC global solutions team works collaboratively with governments and stakeholders around the world to achieve safer buildings. The tools, services and products available through the ICC family of solutions can be customized and contextualized to meet a wide range of building safety needs. For more detail, click on the icons below.
Codes & Standards
Professional
Development
Conformity
Assessment
Consulting
Global
Representation
U.S. Global Policy
Initiatives
Codes and Standards
ICC facilitates the development of a suite of 15 integrated model building codes that are updated on a three-year cycle. The codes set minimum safety objectives and reference international standards that provide prescriptive pathways to achieve the objectives. Jurisdictions around the world use the International Codes as the basis for their national, state or local building regulations. Many more jurisdictions will accept building designs that are compliant with the I-Codes, making them the most widely used building codes in the world.
ICC standards are developed in accordance with the principles required by the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade and are focused on specialized built environment topics such as accessibility, offsite construction, whole life carbon and private sewage disposal systems.
The International Code Council's Periodic Table is a quick reference of all of the model codes, international standards, and guidelines developed by ICC.
Innovation & Technology
ICC's Digital Codes Premium platform provides enhanced online access to over 1,900 titles, including all of the ICC codes and standards, user guides, code commentaries, and other tools to enable greater understanding and efficient use of building regulations. The platform also incorporates ICC's customized AI Navigator, which uses Large Language Model (LLM) artificial intelligence to offer quick, helpful replies to basic code questions, and is programmed to help users navigate the I-Codes like an expert.
Customized collections can be created to meet the specific needs of jurisdictions or stakeholder groups.
Professional Development
The International Code Council is uniquely qualified to provide training – offered either in-person, online or through webinars – on various aspects of the International Codes. ICC Training offers dozens of customized training courses and can also develop custom curricula based on special requirements or customized codes.
In addition, ICC Credentialing offers examinations to professionals who wish to obtain licensing, professional certification or otherwise demonstrate their knowledge of a specific skilled trade or subject matter. Tests are available 24/7 online through the innovative PRONTO remote proctoring system. Specialized certifications can be developed in conjunction with licensing and oversight agencies.
Conformity Assessment – Product Certification/Technical Reports
The ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) is the global leader in providing TIC (testing, inspection, and certification) services for innovative building products, systems, methods and materials. ICC-ES also tests and evaluates building products designed to specific standards. Read more about Product Evaluation and Product Testing
Product Evaluation
Product compliance is a major pillar in the regulatory framework for any jurisdiction, and its importance only intensifies when new or innovative building materials, methods or systems are not covered or addressed by an existing standard. Because the timeline to create a standard is relatively long and because highly unique and innovative products may not be appropriate for standardization, the ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) provides an alternative compliance pathway that offers both speed and rigor.
This is accomplished through the development of an Acceptance Criteria (AC) specific to the product, which provides normative testing criteria. The ACs are reviewed and approved by an independent panel of building safety compliance officers and used as the foundation for the production of an Evaluation Service Report (ESR).
ESRs are documents that can be presented by manufacturers and designers to plan review and approval authorities to provide information about the product's compliance with the applicable building regulation. ESRs are available for products to demonstrate compliance with building regulations throughout North America, Oceania, and the Middle East.
Product Testing
While ICC-ES will accept test reports from any laboratory that is a member of the ILAC network, in-house testing capabilities help to streamline and expedite the process for manufacturing clients. ICC-ES labs can perform air/water/structural testing, fire/flammability tests, plumbing tests, structural assembly performance tests, water resistance tests, and testing for weathering/erosion among others.
Product Evaluation
Product compliance is a major pillar in the regulatory framework for any jurisdiction, and its importance only intensifies when new or innovative building materials, methods or systems are not covered or addressed by an existing standard. Because the timeline to create a standard is relatively long and because highly unique and innovative products may not be appropriate for standardization, the ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) provides an alternative compliance pathway that offers both speed and rigor. Read more
This is accomplished through the development of an Acceptance Criteria (AC) specific to the product, which provides normative testing criteria. The ACs are reviewed and approved by an independent panel of building safety compliance officers and used as the foundation for the production of an Evaluation Service Report (ESR).
ESRs are documents that can be presented by manufacturers and designers to plan review and approval authorities to provide information about the product's compliance with the applicable building regulation. ESRs are available for products to demonstrate compliance with building regulations throughout North America, Oceania, and the Middle East.
Product Testing
While ICC-ES will accept test reports from any laboratory that is a member of the ILAC network, in-house testing capabilities help to streamline and expedite the process for manufacturing clients. ICC-ES labs can perform air/water/structural testing, fire/flammability tests, plumbing tests, structural assembly performance tests, water resistance tests, and testing for weathering/erosion among others.
Conformity Assessment – Accreditation
The International Accreditation Service (IAS), a subsidiary of the International Code Council, is available to satisfy local and regional accreditation requests in cooperation with official government accreditation agencies. IAS has accredited testing and calibration laboratories, building departments, special inspection agencies, product certification agencies and many other entities in accordance with ISO/IEC 17020, 17021-1, 17024, 17025, and 17065 standards, as well as to specific references in the building codes. Additionally, the team at IAS has the capability to develop customized programs to serve specific industry groups.
Consulting
Jurisdictions around the world have worked with ICC to develop custom codes and to develop and implement programs that enable them to effectively enforce building codes and standards. ICC technical staff also regularly provide technical support and clarification of the I-Codes text or code-related consulting services for code officials, design professionals and members of the construction industry. ICC engineering staff can also be contracted to perform third party plan review and structural design assessments for jurisdictions and design professionals.
Global Representation
As the association that publishes the model building codes used throughout the United States, we represent U.S. stakeholders in the building safety industry in global dialogues and partnerships to advance collaboration, harmonization, and the application of best practices for building safety and resiliency around the world.
The International Code Council family of solutions participate in international coalitions, including those listed:
U.S. Global Policy Initiatives
Opening Global Markets
The International Code Council works with US government entities to promote the use of US-developed international codes and standards and the export of services around the world. ICC is a recipient of the President's E-Award for our work in this area. ICC has been a strategic partner to the International Trade Administration and ICC Global Solutions team members serve on various US Government councils and committees to further the use of US codes, standards, conformity assessment, and services globally.
Achieving Global Goals
The family of solutions available from the International Code Council supports many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Paulbourgine, CC BY-SA 4.0
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