Thank You Building Safety Month Sponsors

The Code Council thanks the Building Safety Month Presenting Level Sponsors, including the American Gas Association, Laborers International Union of North America, American Wood Council and Portland Cement Association; and Major Level Sponsors, including the National Association of Home Builders, National Multifamily Housing Council, and Simpson Strong-Tie. For a list of all Building Safety Month sponsors, click here.

ICC-ES Engineer to Offer Expertise on SEAOSC Panel

ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) Senior Staff Engineer, Howard Silverman, P.E., will be among the expert speakers at the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California (SEAOSC) June 26 webinar on the 2013 California Building Code (CBC) rules for Concrete Anchorage Emphasizing Post-Installed Adhesively Bonded Anchors. The 2013 CBC and 2012 International Building Code (IBC) both include requirements to ACI 355.4.

Silverman will discuss updated testing and assessment requirements in AC308 that incorporate ACI 355.4, the adhesive anchor standard referenced in ACI 318-11. ACI 318-11 includes the anchorage to concrete provisions for the 2012 IBC, including new installer certification requirements for adhesive anchors, as well as expanded inspection requirements.

The panel will address new concrete anchorage requirements for adhesive anchors used for structural and nonstructural attachments as it applies to specifiers and code officials. Speakers will explain the relevant changes to Appendix D of ACI 318-11, ASCE 7-10 and changes to testing requirements of ICC-ES Acceptance Criteria 308 (Post-installed Adhesive Anchors in Concrete Elements). Read more

New Staff Add to ICC-ES Technical Expertise and Ensure Timely, Accurate Evaluations

ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) has expanded its staff to ensure timely service and accurate evaluations as its customer base continues to grow. Jeff R. Filler, Ph.D., P.E., joins the Birmingham office as a Staff Engineer with a primary focus on evaluation of wood products. Eric C. O'Neal, P.E., also will serve on the Birmingham staff as a Staff Engineer. O'Neal will work on evaluation reports for exterior veneer products, gypsum board, wall sheathing, fire doors and fire shutters. Ralph Leyva joins the Whittier staff as an evaluation specialist. He will serve as a general practitioner and work on processing evaluation reports for a variety of building products. O'Neal will work on evaluation reports for exterior veneer products, gypsum board, wall sheathing, fire doors and fire shutters.

"We are very pleased to be able to add talented engineers to the ICC-ES technical staff," said ICC-ES President, Shahin Moinian, P.E. "Each brings a different skill set that will complement our existing programs and further enhance our customer service, technical proficiency and speed, allowing us to serve our clients at an even higher level."

House Passes Legislation Requiring VA Housing to Meet Building Codes

HR 2072, which incorporates reform legislation introduced by Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) in 2013, passed the U.S. House on Monday, June 9, under suspension of the rules, and now moves to the Senate.

The bill includes language that requires any veterans housing seeking Veterans Administration (VA) reimbursement to demonstrate compliance with either the Life Safety Code or the International Building Code and International Fire Code, or equivalent local building safety and fire codes.

The language allowing proof of compliance with the I-Codes or local codes was added by Rep. McKinley after ICC staff worked with the Congressman's staff to explain the need for the equivalent codes.

On the floor of the House, Rep. McKinley said:

"Currently, there are over 2,100 shelters for homeless veterans across the country. Unfortunately, some of these structures have been found to be unsafe for habitation. From 2006 to 2010, more than 1,900 fires had been reported in these structures. In the last decade alone, nearly 200 residents have been lost in unsafe shelters.

"How can this slip through the cracks?

"The answer is that, currently, there is no law mandating that VA homeless shelters meet building codes. There is only a loosely defined policy that is not universally followed. As a licensed professional engineer, I find this to be a shocking omission in the law governing our veterans' homeless program funds. This bill would require any organization that seeks funding from the VA for services to homeless veterans to have documentation that the shelter meets or exceeds building codes.

"As a nation, it should be unacceptable for us to allow homeless veterans to be housed in unsafe conditions. In defense of our country, these men and women were put in harm’s way. They should not be in doubt about their own safety now that they are back in this country."