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Students and mentors participate in the first Annual Career Development Day held during the 2017 BOAT Annual Conference

Students & mentors pave the way for a new generation of building safety professionals in Texas

The Building Officials Association of Texas (BOAT) partnered with the city of Rockwall, Texas, to host its first Annual Career Development Day on Aug. 9 during the 2017 BOAT Annual Conference. Participants started the day meeting with mentors and then joining other conference attendees in morning sessions where they networked with municipal building department officials and industry suppliers. Participants spent the rest of the day at the city of Rockwall Building Inspections Department.

We've changed the way you'll experience Annual Conference

This year's ICC Annual Conference and Building Safety & Design Expo in Columbus, Ohio, will bring together building safety professionals from across the spectrum with plenty of opportunities to advance your career and network with peers in a meaningful way. With this year's schedule packed full of interesting, educational and fun events, ICC added some new features and made changes to the way you'll experience Annual Conference.

Join us at the Government Relations Forum

The ICC Government Relations Department is bringing a prestigious group of speakers to our annual conference in Columbus to discuss several current topics and emerging trends across the country. The presentation topics include a discussion on residential energy efficiency and home energy ratings, how building and energy codes affect realtors and their clients, and the latest on developing science-based tools to measure resilience in our communities.

ICC remembers Gilbert Gonzales Jr

Gilbert Gonzales Jr. passed away on Aug. 12. He was a former International Code Council board member, a chief building official in Murray City, Utah, and a dear friend who will be sorely missed by the ICC family. A staunch supporter of the model codes, he spent much of his life working to better our communities and make our buildings safe. He volunteered countless hours to ICC as a board member, traveling around the country to give speeches and visit with our members and chapter leaders. His dedication to ICC and building safety will not be forgotten.

How solar energy helps save money — and the future

The U.S. solar energy market is booming and demand for solar is at an all-time high. Code officials have a critical role in ensuring safe solar system installation. A new training course is helping building designers and code enforcement staff to add solar expertise to their list of qualifications.

Significant changes to the 2015 IBC

The requirements addressing the evaluation of rock materials for foundation support in Section 1803.5 (Investigated Conditions) of the 2015 International Building Code have been updated to be more consistent with current geotechnical engineering practice. In addition, basic requirements for providing adequate underpinning and excavations have been added.

Hurricane season forecast increases from May

When it comes to the most notorious Atlantic hurricanes, we typically look toward the season's peak from August-October. Ninety-three percent of major hurricanes — those responsible for the most destruction in any hurricane season — occur from August through October, including Matthew, Sandy, Irene, Andrew, Ike and Katrina.

Rules that make it hard to build

Two factors contribute to the wedge between household wages and housing costs, according to this article from Builder Online. One is local, regional and national regulation burdens. The other is counter-productive building, outmoded processes (hardwired practices) and quid pro quo business arrangements.

Secure your spot at the Plan Review Institute

Make your plans now for the Plan Review Institute, Oct. 2-6 in Chicago. This five-day event is based on the 2015 International Codes and will include interactive exercises that detail best practices for performing residential, structural and nonstructural plan reviews.

William Gilmore (left) receives the 2017 Code Enforcement Officer of the Year award from MBOIA President Paul Demers (right).

William Gilmore named 2017 Code Enforcement Officer of the Year

International Code Council member William Gilmore of the Town of Carrabassett Valley received the 2017 Code Enforcement Officer of the Year award from the Maine Building Officials & Inspectors Association on July 20 at the Maine Municipal Association. The Town of Carrabassett Valley also received a recognition plaque from the chapter, which was accepted by Selectman Bob Luce.

Time is running out to save on the 2018 International Codes

Early bird pricing expires Aug. 31. Place your order early to be among the first to receive the latest International Codes — the only set of consistently updated, coordinated and comprehensive construction, fire, plumbing and energy codes.

Product compatibility enhances fire protection performance

Fire sprinklers have a long, successful track record of protecting lives and property. With the advent of non-metallic (plastic) sprinkler pipe, reliability is the key to successful fire control. Unforeseen issues, such as product compatibility, arise and the compatibility of non-metallic sprinkler pipe with other construction materials must be verified to ensure a system's reliability. Read more in this article co-authored by International Code Council Government Relations National Fire Service Activities Vice President Rob Neale.

Fire sprinkler sales poised for growth

Political debates about the need and cost of fire sprinklers have been flaring up in some parts of the country. The aftermath of London's Grenfell Tower fire is spurring some areas to action. Many code officials and legislatures are balancing sensitivity to regulations that increase the cost of living with the importance of life safety protections.

Free webinar showcases powerful codes tool

Join us for a 60-minute free webinar offering a walkthrough of the features found on ICC's digital library premiumACCESS. Learn how to use this powerful online tool to get the most out of the codes. The next webinar is Aug. 30 at 12:00 p.m. CDT.

IS-BLE/ICC 300 Standard development committee meeting

Bleachers and grandstands can present a risk. People may fall and injure themselves while walking on bleachers when there are missing or inadequate bleacher components to assist in access and egress, such as aisles and handrails. It's important to help ensure that bleacher-related incidents do not occur. Join ICC's Kimberly Paarlberg on August 30 for a teleconference on the ICC Consensus Committee on Bleacher Safety (IS-BLE).

Save the date: Texas Energy Summit

The 14th annual Clean Air through Energy Efficiency Conference will be held Nov. 13-15 in Plano, Texas. This conference will provide you the opportunity to engage with many state and local policy makers, community and business leaders, researchers, facility and energy managers, design and development professionals, utility and energy service experts, and other stakeholders in a lively conversation about cleaner air, a better built environment and a new energy economy.

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