What we're reading, following & covering

IAS announces new president

October 31 | PHCPPROS

The International Code Council (Code Council) and the International Accreditation Service, Inc. (IAS) Board has selected of Raj Nathan as IAS President. IAS is a nonprofit, scientific, educational subsidiary of the Code Council that accredits calibration and testing laboratories, providers of inspection services, building/code enforcement agencies, fire prevention departments, fabricators, metal builders' and assemblers' inspection programs, management system certification bodies, product certification agencies, personnel certification bodies and related conformity assessment organizations. read more >>>

International Code Council and Bureau of Standards Jamaica sign a milestone agreement to advance building safety in Jamaica

October 30 | Fox 40

Mark Johnson , Executive Vice President and Director of Business Development at the International Code Council with James Rawle , Chairman of Bureau of Standards Jamaica and Stephen Wedderburn , Executive Director at Bureau of Standards Jamaica Kingston, Jamaica, Oct. 30, 2017. read more >>>

Mass shootings are part of the conversation about improving safety codes

October 30 | Las Vegas Sun

Clark County officials are looking to national authorities for guidance on how safety standards might be improved in light of the mass shooting Oct. 1 at the Route 91 Harvest Festival. And the two leading associations that craft the safety policies adopted by most municipalities across the country are looking right back at Las Vegas. read more >>>

Home builders raise hammer, try to smash GOP tax bill

October 29 | The Washington Post

The National Association of Home Builders know how to demolish things, and on Saturday they decided to take on a new project — the House Republican tax bill. That's because one day before, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Tex.) informed NAHB that he would not be including a homeownership tax credit as part of the new tax legislation, which will be released on Wednesday. read more >>>

A massive storm flooded Houston. Experts say California's state capital could be next

October 29 | The Washington Post

Even living here on the West Coast, Marion Townsend decided to act as floods ravaged Texas and hurricanes pounded the Caribbean in recent weeks. Her Sacramento neighborhood slopes downward from a levee that separates it from the American River, in an area that officials concede never should have been settled but is home to 100,000 residents. read more >>>

With thousands still in shelters, FEMA's caution about temporary housing hinders hurricane recovery

October 28 | The Washington Post

As Hurricane Harvey flooded Houston in late August, Federal Emergency Management Agency Director William "Brock" Long said he wanted to avoid a repeat of Katrina-style temporary housing that shattered New Orleans communities. "The last resort is to bring in manufactured homes and travel trailers," Long said. read more >>>

Five years after Sandy, New York rebuilds with the next flood in mind

October 28 | NPR

The Domino Sugar construction site on the Brooklyn waterfront is about as close to the water as you can get. "When you came here in 2012, you could almost reach down and touch the East River, and now you're considerably above it," said David Lombino, a managing director at development firm Two Trees, standing on a concrete pier that juts out 50 feet over the water. read more >>>

ICC perspective: New resource on combustible exterior wall 'cladding' systems

October 31 | PHCPPROS

As codes and standards specialists, building and fire safety is constantly at the forefront of our minds at the International Code Council, particularly this month as we observe Fire Prevention Week. This year, it has also been at the forefront of the public debate after the devastating fire at the Grenfell Tower in London. On Oct. 24, 2017, The Wall Street Journal released the article "Buildings Across U.S. Are Wrapped in Same Panels That Fueled Deadly London Fire." read more >>>

Building code officials need to adopt and inspect for energy codes to promote true building safety

October 31 | Code Watcher

Building codes ensure and protect the safety of the houses and buildings where we live and work. The International Energy Conservation Code, or IECC, is one of a suite of model national building codes adopted by state and local jurisdictions to ensure a bare minimum of durability, quality, health, and safety. read more >>>

Multifamily ventilation: Help buildings breathe

October 30 | Building Design Construction

There's a debate within the multifamily building community as to the best way to ventilate residential buildings. There are three competing design options that can be implemented in residential design: natural ventilation, mechanical ventilation, and a hybrid approach. read more >>>

Cornerstone brings you safe, crystal clear water for your family plus, refined water that prevents scaling and doubles the life of appliances

October 31 | The Laker Lutz News

Many people take for granted the water in their home — both working water used for taking showers and washing clothes, and drinking water for making coffee and ice cubes. It's not until their showerheads become corroded with mineral build up, or their ice cubes look cloudy, do many families consider a water treatment and purification system for their home. read more >>>

Stone and Brick were sustainable when sustainability wasn't cool

November 1 | Masonry

A discussion of sustainable anything needs to begin with defining "sustainable." The dictionary definition from Merriam-Webster works well: of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged. In the building industry, this can quickly connect to wood, stone, concrete, bamboo, brick and blends that add -crete to denote a "concrete-like substance" like timbercrete, ashcrete and grasscrete. read more >>>

A renewed focus on resiliency in wood construction

October 31 | Construction Executive

Today's building codes and standards address many of society's top concerns when it comes to the built environment — from public health and safety to the environmental impacts of construction materials. But in light of several recent natural disasters affecting North America, there is renewed focus on the resiliency of buildings. read more >>>

Timber beams to underpin Arkansas University dorms

October 30 | Texackana Gazette

A construction method rarely used in the United States underpins a new student housing project at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Large panels of wood and glue-laminated wooden beams from a European supplier will form the main structural elements of two five-story halls built to house 710 students, said Daniel Clairmont, the university's director of engineering and construction. read more >>>

Tiny houses can bring big changes for youths, low-income homeowners

October 27 | Jewish Times

Quentin Harper, an AmeriCorps volunteer for Civic Works, stepped inside a handsome wooden structure tucked in a back corner of the Maryland Home & Garden Show last week at the Maryland State Fairgrounds. read more >>>

Six ways St. Louisans are responding to climate change

October 30 | St. Louis

Last week, the Board of Aldermen passed a resolution to convert the city to clean energy by 2035. St. Louisans looking to reduce their personal contribution to climate change are already taking small, simple steps to lighten their carbon load: hopping on a bike, shopping local, or cutting consumption. But in light of potential budget cuts at the national level and recent natural disasters across the country, some local environmental groups and citizens continue to advocate for larger-scale changes across the board. read more >>>

New Mexico ranks in the bottom third nationally in energy efficiency

November 2 |Green Fire Times

For the second year in a row, New Mexico ranked 35th in energy efficiency and its inherent benefits. The state scored lower than the national average and well below other states in the region. The score should concern New Mexicans and state officials because better energy efficiency policies would help the Land of Enchantment prepare for challenges related to fluctuating energy costs and climate change, such as wildfires, storms and droughts. It is also a critical tool for withstanding and recovering from economic shocks. read more >>>

A recycling resurgence

November 2 | Professional Roofing

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 8 million tons of roofing waste are generated in the U.S. every year, with a majority going directly to landfills. As landfill tipping fees continue to rise, roofing contractors and building owners are recognizing the benefits of restoring or recycling what they previously sent to landfills. read more >>>

The International Energy Conservation Code

October 17 | Window & Door

The International Energy Conservation Code has evolved greatly since its first edition in 1998. Overall, significant strides have been made in improving the energy performance of buildings. Based upon analysis performed by the U.S. Department of Energy and others, buildings built to the 2015 IECC use less than half the energy of buildings built to the 1998 IECC. read more >>>

Guest editorial: Protecting our extraordinary environment

October 30 | Trail Gazette

The official mission of the Town of Estes Park is "to provide high-quality, reliable services for the benefit of our citizens, guests and employees, while being good stewards of public resources and our natural setting." Protecting our natural environment is something Town staff does on a regular basis. read more >>>