2013 California Building Standard Codes, Title 24, Now Available
Key Changes for Energy Conservation Discussed in New Full-Color Guide
SFPE and ICC Publish Guide for Fire Safety in Very Tall Buildings
Training & Education Upcoming Events
ICC Certifications Prove Valuable to Members and Certificants
ICC-ES Acceptance Criteria Now Available in the ICC Online Store
Certification & Testing — What You Need to Know for July
Free Online Tornado, Hurricane Safety Course Available
 
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2013 California Building Standard Codes, Title 24, Now Available

Title 24 codes lead the way to building a safe, sustainable and resilient California.

Wildfires, earthquakes and other natural disasters can not be stopped, but the damage they cause can be lessened. The newest edition of the California construction codes required for use statewide will result in safer communities with more sustainable and resilient homes and buildings. The 2013 triennial edition of the California Building Standards Code, Title 24, is now available and includes a subscription service that automatically provides users with all future supplements and errata. Building officials and local government, industry and design professionals, and the general public can purchase California's new codes, which go into effect on January 1, 2014, by individual part or in special interest bundles from the International Code Council.

The 2013 California Building Standards Code, Title 24, include the following parts:

• 2013 California Administrative Code, Title 24 Part 1
• 2013 California Building Code, Title 24 Part 2 (Includes the California Historical Building Code, Part 8 and California Existing Building Code, Part 10)
• 2013 California Residential Code, Title 24 Part 2.5
• 2013 California Electrical Code, Title 24 Part 3*
• 2013 California Mechanical Code, Title 24, Part 4**
• 2013 California Plumbing Code, Title 24, Part 5**
• 2013 California Energy Code, Title 24 Part 6
• 2013 California Fire Code, Title 24 Part 9
• 2013 California Green Building Standards Code, Title 24 Part 11 (CALGreen)
• 2013 California Referenced Standards Code, Title 24 Part 12


The new Title 24 codes are available individually, and specially priced bundles offer savings and include the Complete Collection, Home Builder's Collection, Designer Collection, and a useful Building and Fire Combo package. The Electrical, Mechanical and Plumbing codes are available in print format and Building, Residential, Energy, Fire, CALGreen and Referenced Standards codes are available in both print and PDF Download format, for immediate delivery.

"The 2013 Title 24 codes are among the most advanced building codes in the industry, setting a new industry standard for safe, sustainable, and resilient design and construction," said ICC Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims. One of the most visible changes to the 2013 codes is the historic update of California's accessibility regulations, which integrates the most accessible provisions of the 2010 Americans with Disabilities Act Standards and the current 2010 California Building Code into a single comprehensive document.

ICC will offer 2013 Title 24 online training opportunities to help the California building industry understand the new requirements and transition to the new codes. More information on the lineup of training courses and certifications will soon be available at www.iccsafe.org/training.

For more information or to purchase, visit the ICC Online Store or call 1-800-786-4452.
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Key Changes for Energy Conservation Discussed in New Full-Color Guide

Early bird discount offered through July 31

In Significant Changes to the 2012 IECC and ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2010, expert authors explore commercial and residential energy conservation through efficiency in envelope design, mechanical systems, power and lighting systems, and new materials and techniques. This joint publication from ICC, ASHRAE and Cengage Learning features a unique layout allows you to quickly and easily identify the most important of the extensive changes in the newest editions of the code and standard. Expert discussion and detailed illustrations are included for each change to provide a valuable tool that will assist with planning, designing, building or inspection. Receive the Early Bird price when you order by July 31.

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SFPE and ICC Publish Guide for Fire Safety in Very Tall Buildings

Designers, builders and all engineering professionals will find Engineering Guide: Fire Safety for Very Tall Buildings to be a valuable tool for understanding fire protection issues in very tall buildings. The focus is on fire and how related events affect life safety and fire fighter safety. Topics include: risks, unique challenges, egress, smoke management, fire fighter needs, structural fire resistance design, site infrastructure, commissioning, inspection, maintenance, and change of occupancy/use.

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Training & Education Upcoming Events

The International Code Council Training and Education Department offers a comprehensive educational experience for the Building Code Professional community. ICC Training & Education focuses on the I-Codes and provides an opportunity for participants to earn much needed Continuing Education Units. Participants learn technical code competence by acquiring basic skills and best practices from leading experts in the field. The following highlights upcoming events from the ICC Training & Education department.

To The Point Webinar: Complimentary
Please join us at 1:00 p.m. CST on Wednesday, July 24 for our next To The Point Webinar, The Basics of a Plan Review Submittal. Presented by ICC Plan Review Services Manager Chris Reeves, this webinar will provide an overview of the plan review submittal process. We will highlight the purpose and benefits of the plan review process and the necessary documentation required in order to conduct a thorough review.

Upcoming Seminars
ICC's training events provide the skills you need to advance your career with single- and multi-day formats in the classroom, online, and at local events. Coming this summer/fall:

Plan Review Institute | August 5–9 | Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Plan Review Institute | September 16–20 | Austin, Texas


Learn how to effectively perform structural, nonstructural and residential plan reviews. Increase efficiency in determining if a given set of plans and specifications complies with the applicable 2012 I-Codes. Nationally recognized practitioners explain how to perform specific plan reviews in a step-by-step fashion. Features interactive practice exercises, question and answer sessions, detailed checklists and other valuable job aids. Solve problems, share experiences, network, exchange information and interact with highly respected educators in the industry.

For more details about the August Plan Review Institute, click here, or contact one of our Seminar Coordinators at 1-888-ICC-SAFE (1-888-422-7233), ext. 33818.
A full list of seminars in your area can be found by visiting our Training Event Programs at http://www.iccsafe.org/
If you wish to schedule a seminar, please contact Annie Martinez at 1-888-ICC-SAFE (1-888-422-7233), ext. 33818.

Hire ICC to Teach
Ensure the professionalism and high standards building departments require with the Hire ICC to Teach program. ICC instructors provide hands-on, practical problem-solving training and are available to teach on-site single- or multi-day courses or purchase one of ICC's ready-to-go courses or receive customized training and materials to fit your department’s specific needs.
If you are interested in hiring ICC to teach please contact 1-888-ICC-SAFE (1-888-422-7233), ext. 33818.
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ICC Certifications Prove Valuable to Members and Certificants

According to a recent survey, ICC certifications are widely held and considered valuable to a majority of certificants. More than 2,400 Members and certificants provided feedback on ICC's certification program. The value of ICC certifications are equal to or greater than the cost, according to 83 percent of survey respondents. Forty-five percent of respondents said they were likely to pursue certification even if it were not required for their job. Typically certifications follow a progression, depending on the number of certifications held. Among survey respondents, nearly half (48 percent) hold up to three certifications. And the most commonly held certification is the Residential Building Inspector. The survey was conducted in early 2013 to understand ICC Members' certification needs. Learn more about ICC's certification program.

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ICC-ES Acceptance Criteria Now Available in the ICC Online Store

ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) acceptance criteria (ACs) are now available for purchase. In the spirit of continued transparency, ICC-ES and the International Code Council (ICC) have included all approved ICC-ES ACs in the selection of publications available in the ICC online store. This allows ICC-ES to protect its intellectual property and preserve the integrity of its AC development process, which ultimately results in maintaining the highest quality evaluation reports in the industry. Customers who purchase an AC or compendium of ACs will receive four complimentary updates if the ICC-ES Evaluation Committee, comprised of code officials from jurisdictions across the U.S., revises an AC. Pricing includes a discount for ICC Members.

“We are the only trusted source of acceptance criteria due to our unparalleled development process,” said ICC-ES President Shahin Moinian. “That is just one reason our competitors say ‘acceptance criteria for any given subject should continue to be developed and maintained by a single agency.’ ICC-ES is that agency — the one with the most expertise and experience in the industry.”

ICC-ES develops acceptance criteria for new and innovative products because the International Codes do not have any specific provisions for such products, due to the lag time that exists between product innovation and new product recognition in the code. In addition, even if a product is mentioned in the code, the code requirements may be so vague that an acceptance criteria is still needed.

Evaluation Committee meetings take place three times a year. Although an alternative process exists for certain situations where a hearing is determined to be unnecessary, the Evaluation Committee must adopt any criteria before it becomes effective.

What makes ICC-ES acceptance criteria so widely accepted is the fact that all interested parties have an opportunity to participate in the criteria development process. This participation also brings quality to the acceptance criteria, which leads to even greater acceptance of ICC-ES evaluation reports. Continue reading story

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Certification & Testing — What You Need to Know for July

ICC Certification and Testing continues to work toward providing the exams Members and customers need in the format they have asked for. Here's a quick look at what's upcoming:

• All candidates registering through Pearson VUE for any exam (certification or contractor/trades), or North Carolina Certification computer-based exams, must have a valid e-mail address. Providing an e-mail address is mandatory.

• For exams taken on computer July 1 or after, score reports will no longer be printed on security paper at the test sites. Score reports will still show the word "PASS" or a score and content area diagnostics if not successful. Also included will be instructions on validating pass/fail statuses at the bottom of the score report.

• Exam changes effective July 1:

The Accessibility Inspector/Plans Examiner (exam ID 21) exam will be revised from a 60-question, 1½ hour exam to 80 questions and 2½ hours in length.
The California UST System Operator and UST Inspector will have a reference policy change. Candidates will no longer be provided the California UST Examination References at the test site, but will need to bring their own copy. See the UST Examination Information Bulletin for more information.

• Code year basis of exams in 2013:

2006: National Certification exams based on the 2006 editions of the International Codes will be offered via paper-and-pencil only in specific states and under certain conditions. The states in which these exams will be offered are Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Please email us at certexam@iccsafe.org or call us at 1-888-ICC-SAFE (1-888-422-7233), ext. 5524 to find out if you can test on the 2006 codes.
2009: National Certification exams based on the 2009 editions of the International Codes will continue to be offered via computer-based testing through December 2013, with exceptions noted in the Examination Information Bulletin. 2009-based exams will also be available via paper-and-pencil testing throughout 2013.
2012: National Certification exams based on the 2012 editions of the International Codes will continue to be offered via paper-and-pencil testing throughout 2013. 2012 International Code-based National Certification exams will also be available via computer-based testing starting July 1, 2013.

Questions or feedback can be sent to certexam@iccsafe.org or by calling 1-888-ICC-SAFE (1-888-422-7233), ext. 5524.
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Free Online Tornado, Hurricane Safety Course Available

The Code Council is offering a free online course in the ICC Online Campus to provide consumers with the information necessary to make an informed decision about installing a storm shelter in their homes. The course provides additional information on the weather hazards which affect life safety and how a storm shelter mitigates these risks. View the free online course today.

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