Second phase of Group A online voting opens Jan. 29.

The second step in the online voting process to resolve the voting issues at the 2015 Group A Public Comment Hearings opens tomorrow afternoon, Jan. 29. The voting period will remain open through Midnight Pacific on Monday, Feb. 1. The first step in the process to vote on committee action (or eligible public comments depending on the committee action) from the 2015 Committee Action Hearings ended on Jan. 25. ICC is hosting webinars to assist with each phase of the voting process. Click here for more information.

Deadline near for ad hoc committee on tall wood buildings.

The ICC Board of Directors established an ad hoc committee to explore the building science of tall wood buildings. The Board-appointed committee will include a balance of stakeholders with additional opportunities for interested parties to participate in work groups. The deadline for applications is Feb. 5. Read more.

ICC reveals theme for 2016 Building Safety Month.

ICC's theme for 2016 Building Safety Month, a public safety awareness campaign celebrated in May, is Building Codes: Driving Growth through Innovation, Resilience and Safety. "For the last 36 years, Building Safety Month has celebrated advances in constructing safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures," said ICC Board of Directors President Alex Olszowy, III, with the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government in Lexington, Ky. "Building to modern codes and standards provides important safety and economic benefits to communities, their businesses, schools, churches, and homes, and the people who occupy them." Read more.

ICC-ES PMG chosen to certify code compliance of lavatory and shower fittings.

As manufacturer confidence in the ICC Evaluation Service Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas (ICC-ES PMG) Listing Program continues to grow, Symmons Industries is the latest to be issued reports for its new lavatory faucet and select hand-held showerheads and showers. Both reports (PMG-1351 and PMG-1352) show compliance with the requirements of the International Plumbing and Residential Codes, National Plumbing Code of Canada, Uniform Plumbing Code and the EPA WaterSense Specification for Showerheads. Read more.

Code Essentials of the 2015 IRC.

Depending on climatic conditions, significant amounts of condensation can accumulate in enclosed crawl spaces, causing decay and other damage to the structure. The 2015 International Residential Code (IRC) requires ventilation openings through the foundation or exterior walls in the prescribed size and location to circulate air and dissipate condensation.

(This information is excerpted from the Residential Code Essentials based on the 2015 International Residential Code.)

Number of ICC Master Code Professionals continues to grow.

The achievement of the Master Code Professional (MCP) designation from the International Code Council is the highest level of ICC Certification and has become the gold standard for demonstrating proficiency in the building and fire safety profession. Currently, there are more than 820 MCP professionals worldwide, and their achievements are a benefit to the code enforcement profession, as well as their communities.

$1.5 million state grant to pay for Triangle fire memorial.

For months, a group of labor advocates and victims' descendants have been racking their brains about how to raise the $1.5 million needed to build a memorial to the Triangle fire of 1911 in which 146 garment workers died. After learning of the memorial's funding needs, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that the state would grant all of the money needed to build the memorial.

Late building commissioner brought building, fire officials together in the name of safety.

With a career as a public safety official that spanned more than five decades — including serving as a director, president and treasurer with the Massachusetts Building Commissioners & Inspectors Association, the Eastern States Building Officials Federation, and Building Officials and Code Administrators — retired Weymouth, Ma., Building Commissioner Jeffrey R. Coates was lauded for his efforts to have building and fire officials work together in the name safety. Read more.

High tech highlights China's new public restrooms.

Modern technology has changed nearly every facet of life in China in recent years, but public restrooms in many areas remained equipped with the same squat toilets and concrete pits that Chinese people have used for generations. As the government seeks to improve sanitation and reduce environmental waste, it is planning a major overhaul of 57,000 public restrooms into high-tech facilities. Read more.

2016 ICC Chapter meetings & events.

NHBOA votes in, installs new Chapter members

San Joaquin Valley Chapter installs officers, directors

Napa Solano installs directors at annual dinner

ICC's Dowty elected secretary of BSSC board.

International Code Council Government Relations Regional Manager Susan M. Dowty, P.E., S.E., was elected Secretary of the Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) Board of Direction. The BSSC deals with complex technical, regulatory, social and economic issues involved in developing and promulgating building earthquake risk mitigation provisions that are national in scope.

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