Water Efficiency, Public Health Drive IPC Adoption Growth in Arizona

Tucson is the most recent Arizona jurisdiction to switch to the International Plumbing Code (IPC). The IPC is currently adopted in at least 85 Arizona jurisdictions and in use by the Arizona Department of Health Services and its Division of Licensing Services, and the Arizona Office of Manufactured Housing. The Arizona Registrar of Contractors bases plumbing contractor licensing exams on the IPC and the International Fuel Gas Code.

"The ever-increasing number of Arizona communities adopting the International Plumbing Code recognizes the code's water-efficiency provisions as well as its public health advantages," said ICC Board President Ronald Piester. "In addition to public safety, it also demonstrates the confidence code officials, plumbing inspectors, design professionals, engineers and others in the plumbing industry and business community have expressed to elected officials about the International Plumbing Code's flexibility, cost-saving advantages and up-to-date provisions."

The IPC is in use at the state or local level in 34 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico, according to voluntary reporting submitted to the Code Council. The IPC benefits the plumbing industry by providing:

• performance and prescriptive objectives for plumbing facilities;
• acceptance of new and innovative products, materials and systems;
• inclusion of the International Private Sewage Disposal Code and;
• coordination with the ICC family of codes and standards.

IECC News for ICC Members to Share with Media, Homebuilders

The Code Council has released information to support ICC Members in attaining compliance with the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) in their jurisdictions and to advise local homebuilders about available tax credits for building energy efficient homes. For more information, you can contact David Karmol, ICC Vice President for Federal and External Affairs, dkarmol@iccsafe.org, 888-ICC-SAFE (422-7233), ext. 6243.

Interim Guidance for ICC Members on Community Development Block Grant Funding

ICC has been working with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development so code officials and HUD administrators recognize that CDBG funding may be used for building code administration. A joint webinar will be announced soon.

Pro Board Accredits ICC Fire Inspector Certifications

Pictured, ProBoard Board Chairman Jim Estepp presents the ICC Accreditation Certificate to Michelle Porter, Director of Certification and Testing.

EduCode 2013 Celebrates 16 Years of Building Code Education

EduCode 2013, slated for March 11-15 in Las Vegas, features highly specialized courses for working professionals, including architectural, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, and structural, fire protection, code enforcement and leadership topics essential for building design, expanding your skills, and earning and maintaining certifications and other credentials. Attendees can earn ICC CEUs and also enjoy an onsite bookstore, trade show, food, fun and networking, and a special Mardi Gras Student Appreciation Event on March 12. Learn more about EduCode 2013!

ICC-ES PMG offers Free Product Listing to the Requirements of UPC-India

Plumbing product manufacturers wanting to distribute in India are eligible for a free ICC-ES Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas (PMG) Listing to the UPC-India when they list their products with ICC-ES to the requirement of the U.S. Plumbing Codes, or transfer an existing listing to ICC-ES. This new program will allow manufacturers to expand into the growing plumbing products market in India.

"Manufacturers now have the option of cost-effective, efficient PMG listings that verify code compliance to the UPC-India," said Dawn LaFleur Qualley, ICC-ES PMG Senior Program Manager. "Our goal is to deliver the best service and technical evaluations of PMG products while continuing to offer affordable listings."

To find out if your plumbing product qualifies for a free listing to the UPC-India, contact ICC-ES at 1-800-423-6587, ext. 7643, or by e-mail at espmg@icc-es.org.

As a subsidiary of the International Code Council, the ICC-ES PMG Listing Program is backed by the knowledge and expertise of the Code Council's global activities, and industry alliances in safe drinking water and sanitation improvements.

ICC-ES PMG also offers a full range of certification activities for both the United States and Canada. When applying for an ICC-ES PMG listing, ICC-ES can also certify products to AB1953, Annex G of NSF/ANSI 61, S.3874 (Federal Law for Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water) and the requirements of WaterSense at no charge.

New ICC-ES Expedited Service Earns Positive Response

ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) applicants and clients have been quick to take advantage of the recently introduced ICC-ES Expedited Service—a service developed to meet their growing market entry needs. ICC-ES clients that qualify for this program can expect turnaround times of no more than six months for new report applications and no more than three months for revisions. Reports evaluated under this service are designated as priority projects and include the same thorough technical evaluation in a condensed amount of time with one main point of contact.

"Our goals are to serve our customers' needs and provide evaluation reports code officials can rely upon to ensure safety in the built environment," said ICC-ES President, Shahin Moinian. "As part of the International Code Council (ICC), manufacturers and code officials recognize that ICC-ES has unique qualifications and expertise in the evaluation of products to determine if they are in compliance with the code."

With more than a dozen applications in various stages of the expedited evaluation process, several have already completed their evaluations. Some of the first report holders to be successfully evaluated under this new program are: National Coatings Corporation (ESR-2140); Master Wall, Inc. (ESR-1181); KP Building Products (ESR-1517); Kaycan, Ltd. (ESR-1495); Boral Roofing, LLC (ESR-3496); Hayes Specialty Machining, Ltd. (ESR-1356) and FSR Treatment, Inc. (ESR-1410).

To find out if your product qualifies for the expedited service, contact Michael Temesvary, ICC-ES Director of Sales at 1-800-423-6587 ext. 3877 or mtemesvary@icc-es.org.

Agenda Items for the February ICC-ES Evaluation Committee Meeting

The ICC-ES Evaluation Committee will meet February 12-14 in Birmingham, Ala., to consider new proposed acceptance criteria (AC) for alternate products and for products where additional clarification is needed in the code; and for existing criteria that need to be revised to reflect current code, updated standards or changes to products. Seventeen separate AC items will be considered, with topics ranging from Proprietary Wood Preservative Systems to Fasteners Power-Driven into Concrete, Steel and Masonry Elements.

Tuesday, February 12
1. AC326 — Proposed Revisions to the Acceptance Criteria for Proprietary Wood Preservative Systems — Common Requirements for Treatment Process, Test Methods and Performance.
2. MISC1 — Determining Thermal Resistance of the Air Space in a Stud Cavity Using ASTM C1363.
3. AC442 — Proposed New Acceptance Criteria for Spray-applied Sealants.
4. AC368 — Proposed Revisions to the Acceptance Criteria for Suspended Ceiling Framing Systems.
5. AC449 — Proposed New Acceptance Criteria for New Millennium Flex-Joist, R-Series.
6. AC385 — Proposed Reinstatement (with revisions) of the Acceptance Criteria for Special-purpose Sprinklers Used with Fixed Glazed Assemblies to Provide a Fire-resistance-rated Wall Assembly.

Wednesday February 13
7. AC434 — Proposed Revisions to the Acceptance Criteria for Masonry and Concrete Strengthening Using Fiber-reinforced Cementitious Matrix (FRCM) Composite Systems.
8. AC47 — Proposed Revisions to the Acceptance Criteria for Structural Wood-based Products.
9. AC120 — Proposed Revisions to the Acceptance Criteria for Wood-frame Horizontal Diaphragms, Vertical Shear Walls and Braced Walls with Alternative Fasteners.
10. AC201 — Proposed Revisions to the Acceptance Criteria for Staples.
11. AC116 — Proposed Revisions to the Acceptance Criteria for Nails and Spikes.
12. AC450 — Proposed New Acceptance Criteria for Intumescent Fire-resistant Coatings Field-applied to Prefabricated Wood I-joists.
13. AC14 — Proposed Revisions to the Acceptance Criteria for Prefabricated Wood I-joists.

Thursday February 14
14. AC232 — Proposed Revisions to the Acceptance Criteria for Anchor Channels in Concrete Elements.
15. AC308 — Proposed Revisions to the Acceptance Criteria for Post-installed Adhesive Anchors in Concrete Elements.
16. AC446 — Proposed New Acceptance Criteria for Cast-in Specialty Inserts in Concrete.
17. AC70 — Proposed Revisions to the Acceptance Criteria for Fasteners Power-driven into Concrete, Steel and Masonry Elements.

Register for the Free Webcast of the February Evaluation Committee Meeting

ICC-ES will present a live webcast of its February Evaluation Committee meetings to allow industry professionals to view live video from the hearings and to bring the acceptance criteria process to those who could not attend in person and wanted to view discussions of pertinent agenda items. People who view the live webcasts range from engineering professors and students to international guests.

Evaluation Committee Meeting Webcast | Live from Birmingham, Alabama

Tuesday, February 12, 2013 | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CT
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CT
Thursday, February 14, 2013 | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CT

Los Angeles Basin Outgoing President Huynh Honored for Service to Chapter

IAS President Chuck Ramani (right) presents Truong Huynh, ICC Los Angeles Basin Chapter Outgoing President, with a plaque recognizing his service in helping the Chapter to achieve its goals during his year of service during the Chapter's Annual Business Meeting held in January.