Industry News | |
Relevant code industry news from across the country and around the globe |
—*ADVERTISEMENT— |
Some links may take you outside of the Code Council's website. ICC is not responsible for the content and privacy practices of outside websites. |
—*ADVERTISEMENT— |
NIST Test House Exceeds Goal; Ends Year with Energy to Spare; Meets 2012 IECC The NIST net zero energy test house not only absorbed winter's best shot, it came out on top, reaching its one-year anniversary with a surplus of energy. It was designed and built to be about 60 percent more energy efficient than houses built to meet the requirements of the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), which Maryland has adopted. |
Back to top |
House Passes Energy Efficiency Bills for Schools and Federal Buildings In a voice vote on June 23, the House approved legislation that would increase energy efficiency in schools and federal buildings. One of the bills, H.R. 4092, would establish an office within the Department of Energy for coordinating federal, state, and local programs that would help increase energy efficiency in public schools. Schools currently spend $6 billion per year on energy, lawmakers say, but this could be reduced with better efficiency and use of renewable energy. If signed into law, the bill is expected to make it easier for schools to navigate the programs within one office. The second bill, H.R. 4801, would direct the Department of Energy to conduct a study on how thermal insulation impacts energy and water use in federal buildings. This could provide useful data on thermal insulation for the federal government and private sector. |
Back to top |
First Hurricane Watch of 2014 Issued for Atlantic Coast: America Needs a Natural Disaster Mitigation Strategy Now As Tropical Storm Arthur picked up steam along the Atlantic Coast during the July 4 weekend, the BuildStrong Coalition renewed its call for Congress and the White House to move quickly on a series of bills that would fortify the nation against hurricanes and other natural disasters. BuildStrong is encouraging policymakers to approve the following four bills: the Safe Building Code Incentive Act of 2013 (H.R. 1878 & S. 924) that provides additional disaster relief assistance to states that adopt and enforce strong building codes; the Disaster Savings Account Act (H.R. 3989 & S. 1991) that provides a $5,000 tax deduction for money deposited into a savings account to offset disaster mitigation costs; the Disaster Savings and Resilient Construction Act of 2013 (H.R. 2241) that provides tax credits to homeowners and contractors who utilize modern building science when constructing and/or renovating homes and buildings; and the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act Reauthorization of 2013 (H.R. 1786) that authorizes funding for increased research into reducing the economic and human toll of windstorms. |
Back to top |
FEMA Offers Course on Residential Coastal Construction The Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) is offering a four-day course from August 18-21 in Maryland on residential coastal construction to train participants on FEMA's Coastal Construction Manual. This manual is the primary, state-of-the-art reference for planning, designing and constructing residential structures in the various coastal environments. Intended for engineers, architects, floodplain managers and building code officials, the training will help attendees understand the basic principles of designing in coastal environment; the differences in design requirements and expected performance between coastal construction and inland construction; the significance and "lessons" of historical events at the coast; the minimum requirements and "best practices" for coastal construction; the coastal hazards at potential building sites and how to identify where to obtain pertinent information; how to calculate design loads and conditions; the continuous load path principle; and how to identify siting, design, construction and maintenance defects that result in vulnerable buildings. |
Back to top |
Smart Irrigation Systems Slash Costs Multifamily developers and owners talk about water and monetary savings seen after installing computerized irrigation systems at various properties. |
Back to top |
Metal Wall Comparison: Panel Possibilities and Core Characteristics of Today's Metal Walls There are many possibilities and core characteristics of today's metal walls. Single skin panels, insulated metal panels, aluminum composite material panels and metal composite material panels are the backbone of metal wall construction. This article's charts highlight some of their attributes. |
Back to top |
—*ADVERTISEMENT— |
INTERNATIONAL NEWS |
Global Residential Construction to Reach 61.3 Million Units in 2018 |
BERMUDA: Department of Planning Seeks Public Feedback on New Building Codes |
INDIA: Poor Sanitation May Afflict Well-Fed Children with Malnutrition |
INDIA: Builder, Son Arrested; Charged with Homicide after Building Collapse |
JAPAN: Tsunami-Proof 'Great Wall of Japan' Divides Villagers |
Back to top |