Category Archives: @IntlCodeCouncil

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I-Code Group B Committee Action Hearings

Committee Action Hearings Webcasts – Group B #1


Code Development Schedule

Complete Monograph (2630 Pages)

Voting Results

IBC Rebuttal on G153-25 Performance Electrical Design

(response with hyperlinks to supporting research)

 

Partial listing.  We have until July 15th to comment on committee action

Our proposal G153-25: Page 754

Michigan Modular G195-25: Page 859

“Clinical Need” definition for enhanced security: Page 765

“Electric Vehicle Charger” definition by the  National Parking Association/Parking Consultant’s Council: Page 457

“EV Charging Space” definition: Page 458

“EV Supply Equipment” definition: Page 460

ADM20-25 Authority of building official in natural disasters and high hazard regions, p141

ASM3-25 Electrical equipment re-use, p195

G2-25.  New definition for Animal Housing Facilities, p438

S57-25.  Quite a bit of back and forth on wind and PV “farms, p1053, et. al (“Wind and solar farms are different from animal and produce farms” — Mike Anthony)

G143-25 Lighting Section 1204L remote rooms, windowless rooms, University of Texas Austin student accommodation costs, p. 737-

PM31-25 Housekeeping and sanitation in owned property as law, p1794

PM50-25, Sleeping units to be private, p.1829

RB146-25.  Energy storage systems installed in garages, requirements for physical protection, p. 2195

RB144-25, Load capacity ratings and compliance with NFPA 855, p. 2186

RB143-25, Working roof walking access around solar panels, p. 2180

SP1-25 New definition of base flood elevation for purpose of correlating requirements for electrical safety, et. al, p. 2578

Landing Page for Group B 2025

cdpACCESS 

Link to Track 1 and Track 2 Webcast

Performance-Based Electrical Power Chain Design

Higher Education Laboratories

2024 GROUP A PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE I-CODES: Complete Monograph (2658 pages)

Note the following changes in the transcript above:

Section 702 (Rated Construction), FS44-24 Installer Qualifications (typical marketmaking), Section 3801 (Materials exceeding the Maximum Allowable Quantity), F59-24 (Battery Containment Areas), F81-24 (Health Care Facility Plugs), F112-24 (Lithium Ion Battery Labs), F197-24 (Market making, laboratory oven protection study), F235-24 (Hazardous Materials Classifications & quantity limits).


Safety and sustainability concepts for research and healthcare delivery cut across many disciplines and standards suites and provides significant revenue for most research universities.  The International Code Council provides free access to current editions of its catalog of titles incorporated by reference into public safety law.  CLICK HERE for an interactive edition of Chapter 38 of the 2021 International Fire Code.

During today’s colloquium we will examine consultations for the next edition in the link below:

2021 International Fire Code Chapter 38 Higher Education Laboratories

We encourage our colleagues to participate directly in the ICC Code Development process.   The next revision of the International Fire Code will be undertaken accordingly to next ICC Code Development schedule; the timetable linked below:

2024/2025/2026 ICC CODE DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE

We encourage directly employed front-line staff of a school district, college or university that does not operate in a conformance/compliance capacity — for example, a facility manager of an academic unit — to join a committee.  Not the Fire Marshall.  Not the Occupational Safety Inspector.  Persons with job titles listed below:

  • Fire Safety System Designer
  • Fire Alarm Technician (Shop Foreman)
  • Building Commissioner
  • Electrical, Mechanical Engineer
  • Occupational Safety Engineer

These subject matter experts generally have a user-interest point of view.

Contact Kimberly Paarlberg (kpaarlberg@iccsafe.org) for information about how to do so.

 

Related:

 2021 International Mechanical Code

2021 International Plumbing Code

2021 International Energy Conservation Code

Issue 16-69

Category: Fire Safety, Facility Asset Management

Colleagues: Joe DeRosier, Josh Elvove, Mark Schaufele

Archive / Higher Education Laboratories

Meeting Point

Danse de recherche sur le cancer

International Building Code Definitions: Chapter 2

“The Tower of Babel” 1563 | Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Widely accepted definitions (sometimes “terms of art”) are critical in building codes because they ensure clarity, consistency, and precision in communication among architects, engineers, contractors, and regulators.  Ambiguity or misinterpretation of terms like “load-bearing capacity,” “fire resistance,”  “egress” or “grounding and bonding”  could lead to design flaws, construction errors, or inadequate safety measures, risking lives and property.
“Standardized” definitions — by nature unstable — create a shared language that transcends local practices or jargon, enabling uniform application and enforcement across jurisdictions.  Today at the usual hour we explore the nature and the status of the operational language that supports our raison d’être of making educational settlements safer, simpler, lower-cost and longer-lasting.  

 

2021 IBC Chapter 2: Definitions

2024/2025/2026 ICC CODE DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE

Group B Documents

Complete Monograph (2650 pages) | Note our proposal on Page 754

Child Day Care

Group B Proposed Changes to the 2024 Editions Complete Monograph (2650 pages)

For today’s session note the proposals listed below:

ADM1-25 Part I (p. 61)

G39-25 Part I (p. 522)

G40-25 Part I (p. 527)

G39-25 Part II (p. 535)

G144-25 (p. 740)

EB7-25 (p. 1438)

Z1-25 (p. 2582)

2025 ICC Leadership Week + Hearings Committee Action Hearings – Group B #1 | April 26 – May 6 | Orlando, Florida


Link to April Committee Action Hearing Videos

2024 Complete Change Monograph (2658 Pages)

 

“Kindergarten” c. 1885 / Johann Sperl

Safety and sustainability for any facility begins with an understanding of who shall occupy the built environment and how.  University settings, with mixed-use phenomenon arising spontaneously and temporarily, often present challenges.   Educational communities are a convergent settings for families; day care facilities among them.  First principles regarding occupancy classifications for day care facilities appear in Section 308 of the International Building Code, Institutional Group I; linked below:

2018 International Building Code Section 308 Institutional Group I-4 (Superseded in some jurisdictions)

The ICC Institutional Group I-4 classification includes buildings and structures occupied by more than five persons of any age who received custodial care for fewer than 24 hours per day by persons other than parents or guardian, relatives by blood, marriage or adoption, and in a place other than the home of the person cared far.  This group includes both adult and child day care.

We maintain focus on child day care.  Many educational communities operate child day care enterprises for both academic study and/or as auxiliary (university employee benefit) enterprises.

Princeton University Child Care Center

Each of the International Code Council code development groups fetch back to a shared understanding of the nature of the facility; character of its occupants and prospective usage patterns.

The 2024 revision of the International Building code is in production now.   Ahead of the formal, market release of the Group A tranche of titles you can sample the safety concepts in play during this revision with an examination of the documents linked below:

2019 GROUP B PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE I-CODES ALBUQUERQUE COMMITTEE ACTION HEARINGS

2019 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ACTION HEARINGS ON THE 2018 EDITIONS OF THE GROUP B INTERNATIONAL CODES

Search on the terms “day care” and “daycare” in the link at the top of this page to get a sample of the prevailing concepts; use of such facilities as storm shelters, for example.

“The Country School” | Winslow Homer

We encourage our safety and sustainability colleagues to participate directly in the ICC Code Development process.   We slice horizontally through the disciplinary silos (“incumbent verticals”) created by hundreds of consensus product developers every week and we can say, upon considerable authority that the ICC consensus product development environment is one of the best in the world.  Privately developed standards (for use by public agencies) is a far better way to discover and promulgate leading practice than originating technical specifics from legislative bodies.   CLICK HERE to get started.  Contact Kimberly Paarlberg (kpaarlberg@iccsafe.org) for more information.

There are competitor consensus products in this space — Chapter 18 Day-Care Occupancies in NFPA 5000 Building Construction and Safety Code, for example; a title we maintain the standing agenda of our Model Building Code teleconferences.   It is developed from a different pool of expertise under a different due process regime.   See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

 

Issue: [18-166]

Category: Architectural, Healthcare Facilities, Facility Asset Management

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Richard Robben

Recent concepts in play in transcripts:

  • Tempered water for public hand-washing facilities
  • Walking surfaces
  • Exit signage for non-resident, non-English speaking children
  • Fire rating of corridors 
  • Bathing privacy concepts
  • Water heater controls and monitoring; mixing valves

LEARN MORE:

cdpACCESS Hearing Video Streaming Service

 

Storm Shelters

2024 GROUP A PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE I-CODES

Latest News and Documents

“Landscape between Storms” 1841 Auguste Renoir

 

When is it ever NOT storm season somewhere in the United States; with several hundred schools, colleges and universities in the path of them? Hurricanes also spawn tornadoes. This title sets the standard of care for safety, resilience and recovery when education community structures are used for shelter and recovery.  The most recently published edition of the joint work results of the International Code Council and the ASCE Structural Engineering Institute SEI-7 is linked below:

2020 ICC/NSSA 500 Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters.

Given the historic tornados in the American Midwest this weekend, its relevance is plain.  From the project prospectus:

The objective of this Standard is to provide technical design and performance criteria that will facilitate and promote the design, construction, and installation of safe, reliable, and economical storm shelters to protect the public. It is intended that this Standard be used by design professionals; storm shelter designers, manufacturers, and constructors; building officials; and emergency management personnel and government officials to ensure that storm shelters provide a consistently high level of protection to the sheltered public.

This project runs roughly in tandem with the ASCE Structural Engineering Institute SEI-17 which has recently updated its content management system and presented challenges to anyone who attempts to find the content where it used to be before the website overhaul.    In the intervening time, we direct stakeholders to the link to actual text (above) and remind education facility managers and their architectural/engineering consultants that the ICC Code Development process is open to everyone.

The ICC receives public response to proposed changes to titles in its catalog at the link below:

Standards Public Forms

2024/2025/2026 ICC CODE DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE

You are encouraged to communicate with Kimberly Paarlberg (kpaarlberg@iccsafe.org) for detailed, up to the moment information.  When the content is curated by ICC staff it is made available at the link below:

ICC cdpACCESS

We maintain this title on the agenda of our periodic Disaster colloquia which approach this title from the point of view of education community facility managers who collaborate with structual engineers, architects and emergency management functionaries..   See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting, open to everyone.

Readings:

FEMA: Highlights of ICC 500-2020

ICC 500-2020 Standard and Commentary: ICC/NSSA Design and Construction of Storm Shelters

IEEE: City Geospatial Dashboard: IoT and Big Data Analytics for Geospatial Solutions Provider in Disaster Management

 

Morning Shower

Complete Monograph: 2024 GROUP A PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE I-CODES

Annual Conference Home Page

“The Bathing Pool” | Hubert Robert (1733–1808)

CLICK IMAGE to access complete text

Design Considerations for Hot Water Plumbing

Baseline Standards for Student Housing

2024/2025/2026 ICC CODE DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE

Indoor plumbing has a long history, but it became widely available in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the United States, for example, the first indoor plumbing system was installed in the Governor’s Palace in Williamsburg, Virginia in the early 18th century. However, it was not until the mid-19th century that indoor plumbing became more common in middle-class homes.

One important milestone was the development of cast iron pipes in the 19th century, which made it easier to transport water and waste throughout a building. The introduction of the flush toilet in the mid-19th century also played a significant role in making indoor plumbing more practical and sanitary.

By the early 20th century, indoor plumbing had become a standard feature in most middle-class homes in the United States and other developed countries. However, it was still not widely available in rural areas and poorer urban neighborhoods until much later.

International Plumbing Code

Form v. Function | Function v. Form

International Mechanical Code

2024 / 2025 / 2026 Code Development: Group B (2025)

“Plaza Italia” 1971 | Giorgio de Chirico

 

After architectural trades, the mechanical technologies occupy the largest part of building construction:

  1. HVAC:
    • Heating Systems: Technologies include furnaces, boilers, heat pumps, and radiant heating systems.
    • Ventilation Systems: Incorporating technologies like air handlers, fans, and ductwork to ensure proper air circulation.
    • Air Conditioning Systems: Including central air conditioning units, split systems, and variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems.
  2. Plumbing:
    • Water Supply Systems: Involving technologies for water distribution, pumps, and pressure regulation.
    • Sanitary Systems: Including drainage, sewage systems, and waste disposal technologies.
    • Fixtures and Faucets: Incorporating technologies for sinks, toilets, showers, and other plumbing fixtures.
  3. Fire Protection:
    • Fire Sprinkler Systems: Employing technologies like sprinkler heads, pipes, pumps, and water tanks.
    • Fire Suppression Systems: Including technologies such as gas-based or foam-based suppression systems.
  4. Energy Efficiency Technologies:
    • Energy Management Systems (EMS): Utilizing sensors, controllers, and software to optimize energy consumption in HVAC systems.
    • Energy Recovery Systems: Incorporating technologies like heat exchangers to recover and reuse energy from exhaust air.
  5. Building Automation (BAS):
    • Control Systems: Using sensors, actuators, and controllers to manage and automate various mechanical systems for optimal performance and energy efficiency.
    • Smart Building Technologies: Integrating with other building systems for centralized control and monitoring.
  6. Materials and Construction Techniques:
    • Piping Materials: Selecting appropriate materials for pipes and fittings based on the application.
    • Prefab and Modular Construction: Leveraging off-site fabrication and assembly for mechanical components.

Our examination of the movement in best practice in the mechanical disciplines usually requires an understanding of first principles that appear in the International Building Code

2024 International Mechanical Code

Current Code Development Cycles (2024-2026)

2024/2025/2026 Code Development Schedule

“On the Mechanical Equivalent of Heat” | 1850 James Prescott Joule | Proceedings of the Royal Society of London

Representative Design Guidelines:

Michigan State University

Florida State University

US Department of Energy: Sandia National Laboratories

Related:

ICC Releases 2024 International Codes

Group A Model Building Codes

We are waiting for the link to the Complete Monograph for the Group A cycle in which one of our proposals (Chapter 27 Electrical) will be heard at the April 2023 Committee Action Hearings in Orlando.


Superceded:

Because of the larger, disruptive concepts usually require more than one revision cycle — i.e. 3 to 9 years — it is wise to track those ideas in the transcripts of public hearings on the revisions.   For example, the ICC Group A Committee Action Hearings were completed (virtually) in May 2021.  The complete monograph of proposals is linked below:

2021 Group A Complete Proposed Changes

Transcript of committee response is linked below:

2021 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ACTION HEARINGS ON THE 2021 EDITIONS OF THE GROUP A INTERNATIONAL CODES

A sample of the topics that need attention that involve the mechanical disciplines (e.g. energy, environmental air, water) :

  • Soil gas and carbon monoxide detection and mitigation
  • Minimum number of required plumbing fixtures in schools and higher education community facilities
  • Fixtures for adult changing stations and gender neutral toilet and bathing facilities
  • Fat, oil and grease interceptors in kitchens
  • Dormitories, residence halls

There are others ideas that can be tracked in the most recent Group B Hearings included April 6th:

LIVE: I-Code Group B Public Comment Hearings

Proposals for the 2024 IMC revision will be accepted until January 7, 2024.  We maintain this title among our core titles during our periodic Mechanical teleconferences.   See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

"Microgrids represent a transformational opportunity in how energy is generated, delivered, and consumed" - Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

2024/2025/2026 ICC CODE DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE

Issue: [Various]

Colleagues:  Mike Anthony, Richard Robben, Larry Spielvogel


Group A includes the following codes:

  • International Building Code (IBC) – Egress, Fire Safety, General Portions
  • International Fire Code (IFC)
  • International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC)
  • International Mechanical Code (IMC)
  • International Plumbing Code (IPC)
  • International Private Sewage Disposal Code (IPSDC)
  • International Residential Code (IRC) – Mechanical, Plumbing
  • International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC)
  • International Zoning Code (IZC)
  • International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC)
  • International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC)

ICC Code Development Process: Important Links

 

Workspace / ICC

 

 

 

 

 

International Zoning Code

2025 Group B Proposed Changes to IZC | Complete Monograph for Changes to I-Codes (2630 pages)

National Association of County Engineers

The purpose of the code is to establish minimum requirements to provide a reasonable level of health, safety, property protection and welfare by controlling the design, location, use or occupancy of all buildings and structures through the regulated and orderly development of land and land uses within this jurisdiction.

CLICK IMAGE

Municipalities usually have specific land use or zoning considerations to accommodate the unique needs and characteristics of college towns:

  1. Mixed-Use Zoning: Cities with colleges and universities often employ mixed-use zoning strategies to encourage a vibrant and diverse urban environment. This zoning approach allows for a combination of residential, commercial, and institutional uses within the same area, fostering a sense of community and facilitating interactions between students, faculty, and residents.
  2. Height and Density Restrictions: Due to the presence of educational institutions, cities may have specific regulations on building height and density to ensure compatibility with the surrounding neighborhoods and maintain the character of the area. These restrictions help balance the need for development with the preservation of the existing urban fabric.
  3. Student Housing: Cities with colleges and universities may have regulations or guidelines for student housing to ensure an adequate supply of affordable and safe accommodations for students. This can
    include requirements for minimum bedroom sizes, occupancy limits, and proximity to campus.
  4. Parking and Transportation: Given the concentration of students, faculty, and staff, parking and transportation considerations are crucial. Cities may require educational institutions to provide parking facilities or implement transportation demand management strategies, such as promoting public transit use, cycling infrastructure, and pedestrian-friendly designs.
  5. Community Engagement: Some cities encourage colleges and universities to engage with the local community through formalized agreements or community benefit plans. These may include commitments to support local businesses, contribute to neighborhood improvement projects, or provide educational and cultural resources to residents.

This is a relatively new title in the International Code Council catalog; revised every three years in the Group B tranche of titles.  Search on character strings such as “zoning” in the link below reveals the ideas that ran through the current revision:

Complete Monograph: 2022 Proposed Changes to Group B I-Codes (1971 pages)

We maintain it on our periodic I-Codes colloquia, open to everyone.  Proposals for the 2026 revision will be received until January 10, 2025.

2024/2025/2026 ICC CODE DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE

We maintain it on our periodic I-Codes colloquia, open to everyone with the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

The City Rises (La città che sale) | 1910 Umberto Boccioni


Related:

Signs, Signs, Signs

  1. Reed v. Town of Gilbert (2015): This Supreme Court case involved a challenge to the town of Gilbert, Arizona’s sign code, which regulated the size, location, and duration of signs based on their content. The court held that the sign code was a content-based restriction on speech and therefore subject to strict scrutiny.
  2. City of Ladue v. Gilleo (1994): In this Supreme Court case, the court struck down a municipal ordinance that banned the display of signs on residential property, except for signs that fell within specific exemptions. The court held that the ban was an unconstitutional restriction on the freedom of speech.
  3. Metromedia, Inc. v. San Diego (1981): This Supreme Court case involved a challenge to a San Diego ordinance that banned off-premises advertising signs while allowing on-premises signs. The court held that the ordinance was an unconstitutional restriction on free speech, as it discriminated against certain types of speech.
  4. City of Ladue v. Center for the Study of Responsive Law, Inc. (1980): In this Supreme Court case, the court upheld a municipal ordinance that prohibited the display of signs on public property, but only if the signs were posted for longer than 10 days. The court held that the ordinance was a valid time, place, and manner restriction on speech.
  5. City of Boerne v. Flores (1997): This Supreme Court case involved a challenge to a municipal sign code that regulated the size, location, and content of signs in the city. The court held that the sign code violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, as it burdened the exercise of religion without a compelling government interest.

 

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