The 18 most-read stories of 2018

From code development and special resources to code enforcement and industry recruitment, our best-read and most popular stories of 2018 covered a lot of ground. Find out which stories caught the attention of building and fire safety professionals here in the U.S. and around the world.

Five big takeaways from the Committee Action Hearings

The 2018 Committee Action Hearings took place April 15–23, 2018, in Columbus, Ohio, to consider proposed changes to the Group A International Codes. The first in the 2021 code development cycle, the hearings saw action on more than 1,300 comments and nearly 100 hours of testimony during the 10 days in Columbus. The April hearings are the first chance to publicly review proposed code changes and provide feedback for the 2021 International Codes. Read more

CodeNotes: ICC’s best-kept secret

As part of its goal to serve the needs of plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas (PMG) officials, the ICC PMG Official Membership Council continues to be committed to providing free, informative code support documents known as CodesNotes. Topics include backflow devices and the protection of our water supply, gas pipe sizing based on the latest edition of the International Fuel Gas Code and the International Residential Code, and bonding of corrugated stainless steel tubing gas piping systems, just to name a few. Read more

Rafter and ceiling joist framing

Why do some bright residential builders confuse collar ties and rafter ties? And, how is it the same folks piggy-back on this blunder by framing a cathedral ceiling into a gable roof without using a structural ridge? The answers baffle, but despite the training now mandated by several states, along with explicit code language, this gaffe in one- and two-family framing seems to occur as much today as it did 20 years ago. A framer must attach the collar ties to one side of the roof rafters, horizontally, and in the top third of the vertical distance between the ridge board and the plane of the top plates (International Residential Code, Section R 802.3.1). This stabilizes the connection between the ridge board and the tops of the rafters. The collar ties hold the exterior building walls together about as much as a wad of strawberry chewing gum. Read more

Press fitting technology is changing the industry

There have been many tools throughout history that were developed that have helped trade professionals in the installation of plumbing. Until recently, the plumber, fitter and welder have relied on welding, brazing and soldering to complete piping connections. By now I am sure everyone is familiar with press fitting technology. Press fittings were first introduced to North America for potable water distribution systems back in 1999 and have continued to gain in popularity. Press fittings now are used in a multitude of applications for both metallic and plastic pipe joining. On average, over one million press fittings are installed worldwide each day. Read more

CodeNotes: Firestop system requirements

The control of fire and smoke is a major concern in both the 2018 International Building Code (IBC) and 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC). A new edition of CodeNotes — Through-Penetration Firestop System Requirements for Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (based on the 2018 IBC and IMC) — provides an understanding of the detailed requirements on these issues from an overall building construction viewpoint. Read more

What’s new in the 2018 IPC

The International Plumbing Code (IPC) continues to show it is green as it expands its trench-less technology coverage to include the replacement of underground building drains.  Pipe bursting as it is commonly referred to, involves the replacement of an old pipeline with a same or larger diameter pipe in a process that destroys the original pipe as the new one is installed. The pipe bursting tool, which is pulled through the sewer by a winch or rod, is located at an upstream opening, forces its way through existing pipe materials by fragmenting the old pipe and compressing the broken pieces into the soil as it progresses from one end to the other. Read more

Bring on building safety: Code enforcement explained

Throughout the United States and around the world, people have sustained injuries, death and economic loss because of unsafe buildings and systems. These losses are successfully minimized through the application of, and ongoing enhancements to, codes and standards and a regulatory system to administer them. Building officials, inspectors and other code professionals — and the profession of building safety that they devote their daily lives to — still remain a confusing and misunderstood occupation that most people know very little about. Ordinary citizens do not realize the essential role and integral importance that code officials play in enhancing quality of life by helping to sustain safe, healthy living conditions for residents, businesses and communities. Read more

Codes save lives and reduce recovery times

2017 was a historic year for tragic natural disasters. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that last year the U.S. was impacted by 16 disaster events that individually cost billions of dollars including three cyclones, eight severe storms, two inland floods, a crop freeze, drought and wildfire. Estimated total cumulative damage of last year’s natural disasters hit a record-breaking $306.2 billion. For 2018, scientists predict that we will see more natural disasters occurring in areas that previously thought they were immune. These predictions call for proper planning to help prevent loss of life, property damage and unnecessary post-disaster expenses. Regularly updated building codes are essential to helping our communities prepare for the disasters that are inevitably coming and rebound faster following an event. Read more

2019 Building Safety Month theme unveiled

The International Code Council announced the theme of its 39th annual Building Safety Month: No Code. No Confidence. Modern, regularly updated building codes and a strong system of code enforcement ensure that individuals and communities are safe in the buildings where they live, work and play — codes build confidence. As we face disasters on an unprecedented scale — from hurricanes and tornadoes to wildfires and earthquakes — building codes become increasingly important to the safety, health and well-being of our families and communities. Read more

ICC welcomes new leadership

Members of the International Code Council welcomed a new slate of officers and directors to its 2018–2019 board of directors during the Annual Business Meeting on Oct. 22, 2018, at the ICC Annual Conference in Richmond, Va. Four senior officers were elected to the executive committee and seven directors were elected or re-elected by eligible Governmental Member Voting Representatives and Honorary Members to serve on the board. The board is comprised of four officers, eight at-large directors and six sectional directors who all serve the interests of code professionals in the building safety industry through advocacy, education and research; set the strategic direction for the association; and act as the voice of the association’s 64,000 members across the country and around the world. Read more

Coming soon: print-on-demand certificates, auto combo designations

There are two great new features that will enhance your certification experience. You are now able to print your own wall certificates on myICC for your International Code Council certification. Instead of waiting for the mail to get your wall certificate, the Code Council has added a print-on-demand option for you to print your own certificate in your home or office. This comes at no additional cost to you. Working towards ICC combination designations? You are now granted automatic combination designations once you pass all exams and prerequisites so you don’t have to do the work. Read more

New HUD rule requires ICC certified inspectors for FHA-insured homes

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a new rule that requires lenders offering Federal Housing Administration backed mortgages to use International Code Council certified inspectors in certain instances. HUD had previously required that lenders choose from a limited roster of inspectors that it managed internally. Its new approach now relies on the certification program developed in the private sector by the Code Council which supports building safety professionals throughout North America. Read more

Chapter Leadership Academy shapes the future of ICC

The Chapter Leadership Academy was established in 2016 to assist ICC chapter officers in the areas of chapter management and growth, member recruitment and succession planning. The first academy, held in Oklahoma City, focused on code administration, planning and communication, remembers William McKinney, vice president of the New Hampshire Building Officials Association. Communication carried over to the 2017 academy in Atlanta, focusing on effective use of social media. Attendees learned the art of communication and how to develop a social media strategy for their chapters. Read more

2018 International Green Construction Code released

Green codes help fulfill the mission of providing for the health, life and safety of the built environment; increasing the economic and resource efficiency of buildings; reducing the effects of climate change through more resilient buildings, communities and cities; and providing for the best buildings of today without compromising the needs of future generations. In support of continuously improving the built environment, the International Code Council, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, the U.S. Green Building Council and the Illuminating Engineering Society released the anticipated 2018 International Green Construction Code. Read more

Hitting the reset button on high-rise exterior panels

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal — Stricter Limits on Combustible Panels in High-Rise Construction Could Be Coming — reported that manufacturers of metal composite exterior panels with combustible cores, similar to those that burned last year in a deadly high-rise fire in London, are backing stricter height limits for their use on buildings in the U.S. The panel manufacturers, led by the Metal Construction Association, state that issues such as elevation, the reach of fire equipment and the inability of interior sprinklers to have any impact on an exterior fire were not considered. Read more

From military service to building safety

Over the next 15 years, the building industry will experience a loss of 80 percent of the existing skilled workforce. United States military veterans currently working in the building safety industry know that the International Code Council’s Military Families Career Path Program is a great way to help solve that issue, and aid veterans transitioning to civilian life and their family members learn more about building safety career options. In the past, the built industry has been the chosen career path of many veterans. In fact, a 2017 survey of Code Council members revealed that 50 percent of respondents had previously served in the military. And they wish there had been a Military Families Career Path Program in place to help them to enter the field quicker and easier. Read more

Safety 2.0 welcomes a new generation of leaders

What’s the best way to draw a younger generation of code officials and inspectors to fill the void of Baby Boomers who have retired or will soon? First of all, don’t use the word “code.” The Code Council needed a term that showed those who had devoted their lives to “building safety” were ready to embrace and mentor a new generation. Thus was born the “Safety 2.0,” initiative, comprising new and existing Code Council programs aimed at finding a niche for young, talented building officials. “2.0,” according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is Millennial-speak for “a superior or more advanced version of an original concept, product and service.” Read more

Code professionals remember George H.W. Bush

Former U.S. President George Herbert Walker Bush passed away Nov. 30, 2018, at the age of 94; the longest-lived president in American history. He served as the 41st President of the United States from 1989 to 1993. Among many other notable items, his legacy includes signing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, a comprehensive law on the federal level to address the needs of people with disabilities. Curbs, doors, stairs, signage and employment laws were revised across the country over the next 20 years in response to the measure. The ADA is a wide-ranging, revolutionary piece of civil rights legislation that covers access and provides protections to individuals with disabilities in regards to employment, state and local government services, public accommodations and transportation, commercial facilities and telecommunications. The purpose of the law is to ensure equal access to buildings and facilities and that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. Read more