ICC eNews

This issue of ICC eNews is dedicated to Building Official Jim Rowell, City of Brighton, Michigan, for saving the city thousands of dollars by repairing its historical downtown clock in his spare time. Read more.

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City of Lakes to
Host Annual Conference

The Code Council’s 2008 Annual Conference and Final Action Hearings take place September 14-23 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Events will include the ICC Expo‚ Education Program, Annual Business Meeting and much more. Online registration now open.

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For complete course descriptions and to securely register‚ visit the ICC Campus.

New ICC-ES Evaluation
Reports Available

ICC-ES evaluation reports on code compliance—available free to code officials‚ contractors and anyone with an interest in the construction industry—provide comprehensive technical evidence that products and systems meet code requirements. Each list includes the report number and name of the product(s) recognized for code compliance.
Click here for recently published evaluation reports.
Click here for a complete list of Evaluation Reports.

Sign Up for TAG

CSA America is forming a new Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for agricultural products under the Z21/83 Gas Standards Program. The current product types covered under the new TAG will include gas-operated agricultural heaters, livestock brooders‚ gas-operated greenhouse heaters‚ carbon-dioxide generators and sanitizing equipment. Contact Marc Harris for more information.

Board Meetings

July 19-20
International Code Council Board

Institutes

September 3-4
Design Professional Institute
September 16
Wildland Urban Interface Institute

Special Events

July 31
SMARTcodes Tutorial

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Your Educational Needs

The Code Council offers great code education and training options and can gear training to your specific needs.
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ICC eNews
July 2‚ 2008
Volume 5‚ Issue 10
Gold Winner
2008 Hermes Creative Awards

Grant Program to Support Code Compliance Passes Committee


Rep. Dennis Moore (D-KS) sponsored HR 4461‚ the Community Building Code Administration Grant Act‚ which recently passed out of the House Financial Services Committee.

In a significant step toward creating a grant program dedicated to local building and fire code compliance‚ the House Financial Services Committee‚ on June 24‚ passed HR 4461�the Community Building Code Administration Grant (CBCAG) Act�out of Committee. The Committee’s bill approves funding for $100 million for the five-year period starting October 1‚ 2008. In presenting the bill to the Committee‚ Rep. Dennis Moore of Kansas reported that studies have shown a 4-to-1 payback to the nation from federal programs that support state and local programs in disaster preparedness. Rep. Moore emphasized that the grant program provides resources to bolster local capabilities‚ but will not infringe upon state and local authority to enact and administer building and fire codes. The bill now goes to the House Rules Committee‚ where it will be considered for scheduling for floor action by the leadership of the House.

Code Grant Endorsements Top 100

Support continues to grow for the passage by Congress of the Community Building Code Administration Grant Act (CBCAG). The House Financial Services Committee gave it a big boost when it approved the measure, and the tally of key private-sector endorsements continues to grow.

The U.S. Green Building Council and the Green Building Initiative have endorsed the bill because in their view, systematic code compliance advances the greater goal of improving energy efficiency, a major component of the consensus green agenda.
Similarly, because code compliance improves property values and enhances disaster mitigation, the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies and the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America have added their endorsement.

For a complete list of the 100-plus organizations supporting passage of the CBCAG, click here.

Code Council representatives caught up with Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) on the steps of the Capitol building to talk with him about the importance of code administration and the CBCAG Act. From left‚ are Code Council Board President Steve Shapiro‚ Congressman Wilson‚ Code Council Senior Vice President of Government Relations Sara Yerkes‚ Code Council Special Assistant to the CEO Luci Vallejo-Mastrianni‚ Code Council CEO Rick Weiland and Alliance of Canadian Building Officials President Manny Withrow. To view other photos of Con-gressional members and Code Council staff‚ click here.

Send Legislators a Message of Support

Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) is a recent cosponsor of the Community Building Code Administration Grant (CBCAG) Act. Rep. Frank is Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. Join First Preventers in signing a message in support of Congressional action on the CBCAG Act. Urge your Congressional representatives to support the Grant Act.

Build High and Conserve Energy
NIST High-Performance Buildings Assessment Released

By conserving‚ harvesting and reusing nature’s resources‚ high-performance buildings can incorporate sustainable features to minimize strain on the environment and local infrastructure. The High Performance Building Council completed an assessment of voluntary consensus standards and rating systems for high-performance buildings‚ how they can be used and what other standards are needed. The Code Council helped create the report which will be presented to Congress this month. The Council will examine the report to identify industry needs that can be addressed through its various consensus activities. View the report.

Are You Eligible to Vote?
Modifications Due September 5

Now is the time for all Governmental Members to review their membership records for the Code Council’s 2008 Annual Conference in Minneapolis. Ensure your representatives can obtain their voting credentials for the Annual Business Meeting and Final Action Hearings. Don’t delay.
Check your membership.

Update your membership record.

Prepare for the Worst with the Best
Visit Us for Hurricane Safety Resources

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts an above-normal 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. As with any season, preparation is essential. To help you get ready‚ the Code Council offers preparedness tips‚ emergency recommendations‚ disaster-assistance resources‚ and the Council’s Disaster Response Network‚ as well as hurricane-preparedness seminars and hurricane-related reference articles. Prepare yourself.

International Codes Boost Quality

As part of its Quality of Place campaign‚ the state of Maine recognized the need for more uniformity of building-related codes across the state and adopted the International Building‚ Residential‚ Energy Conservation and Existing Building Codes. The codes will be phased in over the next two years and administered through the State Department of Public Safety‚ bringing more consistency to builders‚ developers and towns. Read more.

Build Your Way to Improved Safety
Discover the Global Possibilities of Code Compliance

Automated code compliance checking of construction documents leads to improved building safety and performance‚ reduced construction costs‚ and timely design acceptance and approval. New SMARTcodes demo tutorials are available. Register now.

Code Council Government Relations Senior Advisor David Conover appears in a U.S. General Services Administration video about its initiatives to use building information modeling in the design and construction of its facilities. View the video.

New IAS Accreditation Program Helps Code Officials

Notice Given for Annual Business Meeting

2008 Call for Nominations to Code Council Board

Added Value to ICC Membership

The International Code Council’s Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas group signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals (APSP). As a result‚ Code Council Governmental Members may download nine APSP standards—a free benefit valued at $500. Read more.

Not a member? Find out why you should be.

Code Question: Expert Staff Opinions

Q: The provisions in Section 406.3.11 of the International Building Code‚ which address special detailed requirements for open parking garages‚ stipulate specifically that vertical openings are not required to be enclosed‚ other than specifically addressed in Section 406.3.8 for employee lifts. Therefore‚ a vertical opening for an elevator located within‚ open to and serving only the open parking garage is not required to be enclosed. Where a non-fire-resistance-rated enclosure is provided for an elevator in an open parking garage‚ is an enclosed elevator lobby‚ per Section 707.14.1‚ required? Click here for the answer.

Code Update: Significant Code Changes
Conversion of Appliance Fuel Types

Get a sampling of the significant changes to the 2006 International Codes right here.

Code Spotlight: Featured Article
Road to Recognition: Building Department Accreditation

Through accreditation, building departments can discover how to reach their own potential‚ identify opportunities to become a high-performance organization‚ and raise the bar on what a building inspection department can be. Continue reading here.

How Prepared Do You Need to Be?

Most jurisdictions have extensive first-response capabilities‚ but catastrophic events can quickly exceed the capacity of a single jurisdiction. To manage today’s threats‚ you need a multi-jurisdictional‚ multi-disciplinary approach to preparedness‚ involving the public‚ private and non-profit sectors. Get a clear picture of what states‚ jurisdictions and the nation need to prepare for major disasters and acts of terrorism. Read more.