Lessons from Building Failures: A NIST–ICC Listening Session on Building Safety
The NIST-ICC panel will examine what happened at Surfside and what the building safety community can learn from it.
The 2026 International Code Council (ICC) Annual Conference and Expo (Oct. 18–21) is about to begin at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
Scheduled to take place on Monday, Oct. 19 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., the focus session Lessons from Building Failures: A NIST–ICC Listening Session on Building Safety will build on the Opening Session discussion with the lead investigators of NIST’s Champlain Towers South investigation.
NIST researchers Dr. Judith Mitraini-Reiser and Glenn Bell will engage directly with ICC members in a facilitated discussion about how lessons from Surfside and other building failures can inform codes, standards, enforcement and building safety practices.
Participants will explore approaches to preventing future failures, including structural design and construction quality, assessment of existing buildings, code enforcement, building record-keeping and the emerging use of artificial intelligence in building departments. The session will also provide an opportunity for building safety professionals to share their experiences, challenges and perspectives directly with NIST researchers.
Learn more about the Surfside Condo Collapse here.
Learn more about the 2026 International Code Council (ICC) Annual Conference and Expo here.
About the Author
The International Code Council is a nonprofit association that provides a wide range of building safety solutions, including product evaluation, accreditation, certification, codification and training. It develops model codes and standards used worldwide to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures.
