Important dates for code
development voter validation.       

With the Code Development Cycle to develop the 2018 I-Codes Group A Codes underway, there are two important dates to be aware of in order to vote on code changes: March 20 and Aug. 31. Jurisdictions must be an ICC Member by March 20, 2015, to be eligible to vote during this cycle, and Primary Representatives must validate Governmental Member Voting Representatives by that date to be eligible to participate in the Online Assembly Floor Motion vote that will follow the Committee Action Hearings. Once validated, all ICC Members can vote on Online Assembly Floor Motions after the Committee Action Hearing April 19-30 on Memphis. Read more.

Future of construction industry
workforce development explored.       

ICC executive staff and Board members attended several National Association of Home Builders meetings and events during Design and Construction Week that included the International Builders Show and the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show. ICC Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims (left) discussed demands on workforce development to attract younger people to be code officials and in other construction industry jobs during the NAHB Codes and Standards Committee meeting. Design and Construction Week is an opportunity to meet, talk and educate top industry leaders about the importance of codes and standards to safety and resilience.

Significant changes to the 2015 IBC.       

The provisions regulating combustible projections adjacent to an interior lot line or other line used to determine the fire separation distance have been modified to provide a simple and consistent approach that is less restrictive than previously determined. (This information is excerpted from the Significant Changes to the 2015 International Building Code.)

2015 International Codes available.       

The 2015 International Codes help achieve resiliency, safety, innovation and affordability in the built environment. Code purchases include a free subscription to ICC's new Code Alert service that provides critical code updates and free access to videos, excerpts from support documents and training resources.

SCC expands acceptance of ICC-ES
evaluations to include building product listings.       

The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) now recognizes ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) building product listings, a new service supporting manufacturers who distribute products in Canada and the U.S. The recognition allows ICC-ES to certify many building products for the Canadian market. The acceptance of ICC-ES provides easier access to the Canadian markets by eliminating a hurdle, allowing ICC-ES to be a sole source provider of code compliance recognition in the U.S. and Canada. This acceptance will also improve innovation by reducing compliance differences between U.S. and Canadian markets.

ICC's Beth Tubbs
appointed to SFPE Board.       

The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) recently announced the appointment of Beth Tubbs to its Board of Directors. Tubbs has been with the Code Council since 2002 and is currently a Senior Staff Engineer with ICC's Codes and Standards Development Department. With this prestigious appointment, Tubbs becomes one of 17 members of the Board of Directors of SPFE who represent leading professionals in the fire protection engineering field.

Southern Nevada Chapter holds
annual awards and installation banquet.       

The Southern Nevada Chapter of ICC conducted its annual awards and installation banquet earlier this month in Las Vegas. ICC Board of Directors President Guy Tomberlin, Board Member Jay Elbettar, and Government Relations Liaison Dave Nichols joined about 70 Chapter Members to celebrate the Chapter's achievements during 2014 and recognize the significant contributions made by the Chapter's volunteers, committees and officers during the year.

Exclusive, free benefits available
for ICC Governmental Members.       

Through a special agreement with the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA), ICC Governmental Members may qualify for free access to ACCA's online membership benefits. As a contractor-focused organization, ACCA provides technical and business management products and services to help contractors meet or exceed business requirements. Now, ICC Members can have access to the same information contractors have.

APA recognizes Terrebonne Parish
Planning and Zoning Department.       

The Louisiana Chapter of the American Planning Association last month honored the Terrebonne Parish Planning and Zoning Department, an ICC Governmental Member, for its work to enhance the effectiveness of planners in impacting public policy. The department was recognized for the implementation of its comprehensive master plan; received the Great Neighborhood Award; and Senior Planner Chris Pulaski also received an award as one of the state's "rising planning stars."

ICC-ES ESL-1012 issued to SolarDock.       

SolarDock, LLC is the most recent manufacturer to receive a building product listing from ICC-ES, the industry's preferred source for product evaluations to relevant codes and standards. SolarDock's photovoltaic (PV) rack mounting system "SolarDock 2" has received ESL-1012. "This listing is a valuable tool for our product in the burgeoning solar market and will assist our customers and code officials with determining installation approvals," said Dave Holleran, Senior Vice President, Sales and Business Development. "We are very pleased with the speed and high degree of customer service we received during the ICC-ES listing process."

New book from ASTM and MIA
compiles 100+ masonry standards.       

With 11 new standards, 25 updated standards and 112 total standards, Masonry Standards for the Building Industry, 8th Edition is a powerful technical resource for designers, manufacturers, engineers, architects, specifiers, professors and consultants involved in production, design, or testing of masonry products or assemblies. You'll have access to the best practices and guides for test specimen preparation, proper use of test methods and specifications, and reduction of efflorescence.

Sims, Kopczynski awarded
BOAPBC honorary lifetime memberships.       

ICC CEO Dominic Sims and Keene, N.H., Assistant City Manager/Health and Building Safety Director Medard Kopczynski were recently awarded Honorary Lifetime Memberships by the Building Officials Association of Palm Beach County (BOAPBC). Prior to serving as CEO of the Code Council and the legacy organization Southern Building Code Congress International, Sims was the Executive Director of the Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning and Building Department where he was responsible for financial performance of an agency with 359 dedicated professionals and an average annual budget of $35 million. Kopczynski was the Deputy Building Official for the city of Boynton Beach, Fla., and Building Official and later Growth Management Director for the city of Venice, Fla., before joining the city of Keene in 2000.

N.J. Assembly Speaker, who is a construction code
official, says state should reexamine building standards.       

In the wake of a massive blaze that ripped through an apartment complex, where fire officials attribute the swift spread of flames to the building's lightweight wood construction, New Jersey Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto says some building standards should be reexamined. Prieto is a construction code official whose district includes the apartment complex. "I think we do our due diligence," he said in a recent interview. "But once you see things of this magnitude that happen, you want to protect against it."

Lancaster County Code Association
holds annual meeting, elects officers.       

The Lancaster County Code Association recently held its 2015 Annual Meeting and elections in Manheim Township, Pa. The new Chapter officers are: President Donal C. Forry, Vice President Randy B. Maurer, Secretary J. Kenneth Drancheck and Treasurer Jim Phillips.

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