Tag: building

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Free and Online Access to Building Codes

Did you know anyone with access to the internet can check out current building codes at the International Code Council (ICC) website? It’s true! I am really excited about this because when I first started in the industry, I only had access to the physical books, and I always thought how much easier things would be if I could use and refer people to a digital version.

Well now we all can – building professionals and property owners and renters – basically everyone. All you have to do is visit the ICC website at https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes and check out any of the 15 codes they offer along with other related publications. They even have different years of the code available. Of course they offer a subscription service with more features which is probably something a building professional would be more interested in than a property owner.

When you get to the site, you can filter the codes in the menu on the left which you can see in the image on this page. You can also go to a specific year by clicking the drop down at the top and choosing the year and version of code. To view a code which shows up in the display, just hover over the graphic of the title and when you see “View as Basic” click on it. The site will take you to the code. You can check out different sections of the code by clicking on the list of sections on the left of the screen.

One important thing to keep in mind is even though the codes are there for free for us to read, they are still under copyright. So in accessing and using them we need to make sure we don’t infringe on the ICC copyright.

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Building Safety Month Webinars

Every good campaign is backed up with a series of related webinars, and Building Safety Month has a group of them ready for you. The first one will focus on Tiny Homes and Affordability and will be held May 3, 2022, at 3-4 pm ET.

The International Code Council (ICC) will also host at least two Facebook live events. The first will be with the ICC VP of Innovation, Ryan Colker, on May 2, 2022, at 1 pm ET.

Below is a listing of the all the Building Safety Month webinars and Facebook live events to be held by the ICC throughout the month. You can register now or stop back later in the month to click on the link and check it out.

Facebook Live Events:

May 2, 2022, 1 pm ET – with ICC VP of Innovation, Ryan Colker

May 10, 2022, 1 pm ET – with ICC Senior VP of Training and Education, Matthew Winn

Building Safety Month Webinars (and yes, you read that right – for some reason there is no webinar in week 3 and two during week 4):

Week 1, May 3, 3-4 pm ET, Tiny Homes and Affordability

Week 2, May 10, 2-3 pm ET, Career Paths for Military Veterans

Week 4, May 24, 2-3:30 ET, Backflow Basics: Repair & Testing

Week 4, May 35, 2-3 ET, Pool Owner Safety 101

If you know of any building safety month events going on that people may want to attend, send them to me, and I’ll add them to a future post. You can comment here or message me on Twitter (@publicworks) or Facebook.

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Building Safety Month Kick-off

Well it’s here! Building Safety Month – a month to promote pretty much what it says: BUILDING SAFETY. And because all of us need to spend time in buildings or some sort of shelter, Building Safety Month is really for everyone. This year, the International Code Council (ICC) which sponsors the campaign has established four themes for each of the following four weeks:

Week 1, May 1 to May 8: Energy and Innovation

Week 2, May 9 to May 15: Building Safety Careers

Week 3, May 16 to 22: Disaster Preparedness

Week 4, May 23 to 31, Water Safety

Whether you are in the building industry or a related field or not, I hope to offer information and resources throughout the month for all of us. And if you are in the field, you can stop by the ICC Building Safety Month website to download toolkits, proclamations, and other materials to promote the month in your communities.

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National Institute of Building Sciences Updates Mitigation Savings Ratio

Elevated House

On January 11, 2018, the National Institute of Building Sciences released their Natural Hazard Mitigation Strategies: 2017 Interim Report. This document reports an update to their 2005 determination of a mitigation benefit cost ratio of 4:1 where “for every $1 spent by FEMA on hazard mitigation, it is $4 in future benefits.” The new study has found this ratio has increased to 6:1 meaning “on average, mitigation grants funded through select federal government agencies can save the nation $6 in future disaster costs, for every $1 spent on hazard mitigation.”

The new study also broke out benefits of exceeding specific requirements of the 2015 model building code. It reports that, “on average, investments in hazard mitigation measures that exceed provisions of the 2015 model building code can save the Nation $4 for every $1 spent.”

While having additional data explains some of the finding of increased savings, there are other reasons this ratio is reported to be higher than the 2005 ratio. The newer study took a more in-depth look at costs and benefits and leveraged better analytical technologies.  This approach allowed for the inclusion of additional factors not considered in the 2005 study such as the following benefits and costs:

  • Benefits associated with avoided cases of PTSD.
  • Cost of lost wages
  • Losses in household productivity
  • Cost of pain and suffering

Another difference is the new study uses a discount rate of 2.2%. But even though this rate is below the higher discount rate used by the Office of Management and Budget, the study reports the measures remain cost-effective at the higher rate. This study also took into account information from 23 years of grants from EDA and HUD while the original analysis only looked at grants from FEMA.

You can read more about the entire study and findings at the National Institute of Building Sciences Website.  At this link you will be asked to provide your name and some brief contact information to download a summary, the full report, and fact sheets.

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The Building Industry Meets Web 2.0 at Be2Camp

Be2Camp Logo
How can the building industry use Web 2.0 tools to enhance delivery of services and better integrate new concepts like sustainability? These are some of the questions and issues that will be discussed at the upcoming barcamp, Be2Camp, to be held at The Building Centre on Store Street in London on Oct. 10, 2008. This event will begin at 10 a.m. and will adhere to the delivery method of a traditional barcamp event.

The agenda continues to evolve, but to date those attending can look forward to hearing about topics such as Web 2.0 technologies, collaboration through document management, use of open souce or public data, use of charrettes, peer production, virtual worlds, green technologies, and post occupancy evaluations. Other proposed topics include the use of voice over IP services such as Skype, carbon footprints, cloud computing, discussion of BIMstorm, social networks, and podcasts. A Pecha Kucha session will take place after the close of the barcamp.

As usual, the pace and organization of these events evolve over time even changing throughout the actual day of the event. The focused and fast-paced delivery has become one of the more attractive components of this type of conference. Those working in the building industry who may have an interest in attending are encouraged to visit the Be2Camp network site, sign up as members, look through the agenda, and register to attend for free. Anyone who may want to volunteer to speak can also sign up at this network site.

BIW Technologies, EMS Ltd., and The Building Centre are the designated sponsors to date – other companies or suppliers to the industry can sign up for sponsorships by e-mailing Martin Brown, one of the Be2Camp organizers.

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