October 11th, 2011
by International Code Council

New codes includes live/work, fall-prevention, school lockdown provisions and more

The new 2012 North Carolina State Building Codes usher in a new era of safety and efficiency with a number of significant provisions from both the International Code Council and the North Carolina Building Code Council.

One of the most visible changes to the 2012 codes is the inclusion of live/work unit provisions (North Carolina Building Code Section 419) to help building code officials better manage mixed commercial and residential properties in neighborhoods, buildings and within unit types. North Carolina Fire Code Section 404.3.3 includes requirements for school lockdown plans and other similar occupancies while the North Carolina Mechanical Code Section 504.8 has new provisions for common exhaust systems for clothes dryer ducts in multi-story structures. Increased safety provisions in the North Carolina Residential Code Section R312.2 now address child protection and fall-prevention for windows located more than 6-feet above the exterior grade.

“North Carolina is excited about moving forward with a newer version of our codes,” Tim Bradley, North Carolina Senior Deputy Commissioner of Insurance said. “We have a long history of a statewide code, and each version gets better. It is also great to have the consistency of participating with an international partner like ICC.”

The North Carolina State Building Codes are based on the 2009 International Codes from the International Code Council. The following 2012 North Carolina State Building Codes are available now: Building, Fire Prevention, Fuel Gas, Mechanical and Plumbing. The 2012 North Carolina State Building Code, Administrative Code and Policies, Residential and Energy Conservation codes and North Carolina Electrical Code (2011 edition) are scheduled for release in January, and currently available for pre-order. The 2012 North Carolina Building Code Collection in soft cover, PDF Download and CD formats are slated to be available in March.

The North Carolina State Building Codes are mandatory for all new construction or rehabilitation projects starting March 1, 2012. For more information, visit www.iccsafe.org/NC2012.

The International Code Council is a member-focused association dedicated to helping the building safety community and construction industry provide safe and sustainable construction through the development of codes and standards used in the design, build and compliance process. Most U.S. communities and many global markets choose the International Codes.

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International Code Council
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.