A Publication of Ivey Engineering, Inc. — Experts and Consultants, Serving 50 States and CanadaApril 2011

Keeping Up With Code

A standard within the industry

The International Code Council (ICC), an association dedicated to building safety, fire prevention and energy efficiency, develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools.

building

Most U.S. cities, counties and states choose the International Codes, which are building safety codes developed by the ICC. California, for example, currently adopts the 2009 International Building Code (IBC), 2009 International Residential Code (IRC) and 2009 International Fire Code (IFC).

The International Codes also serve as the basis for construction of federal properties around the world and as a reference for many nations outside the United States.

ICC was established in 1994 to develop a single set of comprehensive and coordinated national model construction codes. The founders of the ICC are Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc. (BOCA), International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) and Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc. (SBCCI).

The nation's three model code groups worked together to develop a single set of codes—the International Codes. The 2009 ICC code cycle was historic for many reasons. For example, the IRC required that all one- and two-family dwellings, up to three stories, have fire sprinklers. This provision was ultimately approved after having been debated for years at the 2009 code hearings.

The 2009 IBC and IFC now contain many of the recommendations of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) after its investigation of the collapse of the World Trade Center on 9/11. These recommendations are aimed at making tall buildings safer.

Future articles in Forensis will address some of the requirements of these codes. Stay tuned!

ICC Code Review

The ICC has developed comprehensive and coordinated codes, including:

Bill's Tips

The Four Don'ts of Kitchen Sink Drains

Unless you want to ruin an otherwise perfectly good day, DO NOT:

  1. Put grease down your kitchen drain. This will clog your pipes.

  2. Put vegetable peelings down your kitchen drain. These are the perfect shape to fit through the slots in the disposer and plug your drain line.

  3. Use chemical drain cleaners. These products can damage your pipes.

  4. Use enzyme drain cleaners. These remove the build-up of grease and other materials from the pipes which can collect and plug the pipes.