The latest version of the ICC/MBI Standard 1200 is the 2020 edition, specifically the ICC/MBI 1200-2020: Standard for Off-Site Construction: Planning, Design, Fabrication and Assembly. This standard, developed by the International Code Council (ICC) in collaboration with the Modular Building Institute (MBI), addresses the planning, design, fabrication, and assembly of off-site construction projects. It is part of a series of standards aimed at ensuring safety and compliance in off-site construction processes.
The International Code Council bibliography of elevator safety practice incorporates titles published by American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the National Fire Protection Association and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. The relevant section of the International Building Code is therefore relatively short and linked below.
“View from the Ancient Theater in Taormina to Mount Etna” c. 1880 Carl Wuttke
Safety and sustainability for any facility begins with an understanding of who shall occupy it. University settings, with mixed-use phenomenon arising spontaneously and temporarily, present challenges and no less so in square-footage identified as performing arts facilities. Education communities present the largest installed base of mixed use and performing arts facilities. A distinction is made between supervised occupants that are in secondary schools (generally under age 18) and unsupervised occupants that are in university facilities (generally above age 18).
First principles regarding occupancy classifications for performing arts facilities appear in Section 303 of the International Building Code Assembly Group A-1. The public edition of the 2021 IBC is linked below:
Each of the International Code Council code development groups A, B and C; fetch back to these classifications. You can sample the safety concepts in play with an examination of the document linked below:
Each of the foregoing documents are lengthy so we recommend using search terms such as “school”, “college”, ‘”university”, “auditorium”, “theater”, “children”, “student” to hasten your cut through it.
We find continuation of lowering of the lighting power densities as noteworthy. Technical committees assembled and managed by the International Code Council, the American Society of Heating & Refrigeration Engineers and the Illumination Engineering Society are leaders in developing consensus products that drive the LED illumination transformation.
The revision schedule for the next tranche of ICC titles that are built upon the foundation of the IBC is linked below:
We encourage experts in education communities — facility managers, research and teaching staff, architectural and engineering students — to participate directly in the ICC Code Development process at the link below:
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Richard Robben
The International Code Council (ICC) develops its codes and standards through a consensus-driven process. The ICC Code Development Process follows these major stages:
Code Change Proposal Submission
Stakeholders (e.g., government officials, industry professionals, and the public) submit proposals to modify existing codes or introduce new provisions.
Committee Action Hearing (CAH)
Expert committees review and evaluate submitted proposals.
Public testimony is allowed, and committees vote on whether to approve, disapprove, or modify the proposals.
Public Comment Period
After the CAH, the public can submit comments or suggest modifications to the committee’s decisions.
These comments help refine the proposed changes before final voting.
Public Comment Hearing (PCH)
ICC members discuss and vote on public comments.
This step ensures that all voices are heard and debated before finalizing changes.
Online Governmental Consensus Vote (OGCV)
Governmental members vote on the final code changes electronically.
Only governmental voting members (e.g., code officials) participate in this stage to ensure the process remains unbiased.
Publication of New Code Edition
Approved code changes are incorporated into the next edition of the ICC codes.
The ICC updates its codes every three years (e.g., 2021, 2024, 2027 editions).
This structured process ensures that ICC codes remain comprehensive, up-to-date, and responsive to industry needs while maintaining safety and functionality.
Following the ICC Group A revision cycle public consultation on the 2024 International Fire Code will begin. The ICC will announce the development schedule sometime in 2022.
We limit our resources simply tracking the proposals that run through Group E (Educational) and Group I (Institutional) occupancies in the Group A suite with closer attention to the state they are adopted whole cloth or with local exceptions. In many cases, IFC adoption by state and local authorities is delayed by one or more previous code revisions. This delay in adoption may be necessary in order for jurisdictions to evaluate the impact of changes upon the region under their authority.
Public safety budgets historically support the local and state fire marshal and his or her staff. The revenue stream of many trade associations originates from membership, conference attendance, training and certification enterprises that service the public sector stakeholder. Manufacturer sponsorship of trade association conferences is noteworthy.
Unless there is an idea, or proposed regulation that has run off the rails (either in terms of rigor or cost increase) — we place fire safety in the middle of our ranking of priorities. With gathering pace, we find many fires safety goals being met with electrotechnologies where we place our highest priority.
Click on image for more information. The map is updated by expert agencies frequently so we recommend a web search for an update.
Significant code changes rarely happen within a 3-year cycle so it is wise to follow ideas as they travel through the agendas of technical committees through several cycles as administered by the Fire Code Action Committee.
The ICC posts the transcripts of public proposals, technical committee responses to public proposals, public response to the technical committee response and the final balloting in a fair and reasonable fashion as can be seen in the transcripts linked below:
A search on the terms “classroom” or “school” in any of the documents above offers granular insight into the trend of current thinking. We find fire extinguishers placement a perennial concern across several standards suites. You will note the careful consideration of proposals for use of the mass notification systems, now integrated into fire alarm systems and their deployment in active shooter situations.
The transcripts reveal detailed understanding and subtlety.
“The Country School” | Winslow Homer
There are many issues affecting the safety and sustainability of the education facility industry. We add value to the industry because of our cross-cutting perspective on the hundreds of “silos”created by the competition (and sometimes cooperation) among accredited, consortia and open-source standards developers. We have the door open every day at 11 AM Eastern time to enlighten understanding of them all. We also host a breakout teleconference every month to drill into the specifics of standards action on fire safety for the real assets of school districts, colleges and universities. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting.
Finally, we persist in encouraging education industry facility managers (especially those with operations and maintenance data) to participate in the ICC code development process. You may do so by CLICKING HERE.
The ICC Group B Code Meetings will be hosted soon and open to the public:
The Group B tranche is largely focused on energy, structural, residential and existing building concepts but all of the titles cross-reference the IFC in some way so it is wise to follow how the concepts re-arrange and cross-reference themselves with each cycle.
Issue: [16-169]
Category: Architectural, Facility Asset Management, Space Planning
The International Plumbing Code (IPC) is developed to harmonize with the full span of ICC’s family of building codes. The IPC sets minimum regulations for plumbing systems and components to protect life, health and safety of building occupants and the public. The IPC is available for adoption by jurisdictions ranging from states to towns, and is currently adopted on the state or local level in 35 states in the U.S, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
SOURCE: CLICK ON IMAGE | Contact ICC for most recent IPC adoption map
The IPC is developed in the ICC Group A Code development framework and concluded its revision cycle in late 2021 under the circumstances of the pandemic. The 2023 International Plumbing Code revision cycle will not begin until early 2023 but it is never too soon to understand the issues from previous revision cycles to enlighten approaches to the forthcoming Group A revision cycle. The complete monograph of the Group A Codes is linked below, with comments on IPC proposals starting on Page 1417 of this 1613 page document:
Because transgender issues are on the agenda of many facility managers we direct you to Page 1424 of the rather large document linked above.
As always, we persist in encouraging education industry facility managers (especially those with operations and maintenance data) to participate in the ICC code development process. You may do so by CLICKING HERE.
Real asset managers for school districts, colleges, universities and technical schools in the Las Vegas region should take advantage of the opportunity to observe the ICC code-development process during the upcoming ICC Annual Conference in Las Vegas, October 20-23 during which time the Group B c Public Comment Hearings will take place. Even though the IPC has moved farther along the ICC code development process it is still enlightening to observe how it work. The Group B Hearings are usually webcast — and we will signal the link to the webcast when it becomes available — but the experience of seeing how building codes are determined is enlightening when you can watch it live and on site.
Issue: [16-133]
Category: Plumbing, Water, Mechanical
Colleagues: Eric Albert, Richard Robben, Larry Spielvogel
Chapter 8 of the International Building Code contains the performance requirements for controlling fire growth and smoke propagation within buildings by restricting interior finish and decorative materials. A great deal of interior square footage presents fire hazard; even bulletin boards and decorations; as a simple web search will reveal. We are respectful of the competing requirements of safety and ambience and try to assist in a reconciliation of these two objectives.
Free access to the current edition of the relevant section is linked below:
The public input period of the Group A Codes — which includes the International Fire Code; which contains parent requirements for this chapter — closed in July 2nd. Search on the word “interior”, or “school” or “classroom “in the document linked below for a sample of the ideas in play.
Most of the ICC bibliography lies at the foundation of the safety and sustainability agenda of education communities everywhere so we follow development continuously; setting priorities according to our resources. We keep the issues in this chapter on the standing agenda of our Interiors colloquium. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.
Occupancy classification is a first principle in all International Code Council consensus products. Chapels and churches associated with educational institutions are grouped with all other “Places of Religious Worship” in Section 303.4 Assembly Group A-3. You may find the text of this section in the current 2024 edition in the link below:
Recent incidents in the tragic city of Minneapolis inspire revisiting the standards of care listed below:
Targeted Violence and Active Shooters: Incidents like mass shootings have increased, with 54% of attacks on U.S. houses of worship involving armed assaults, often motivated by religious or racial hatred (67% of cases). Comprehensive emergency plans and training are critical.
Vandalism and Arson: These are common, with over 400 attacks on U.S. churches since 2020, including property damage and desecration. Surveillance cameras and regular security audits can deter such acts.
Theft: Donation boxes, religious artifacts, and personal belongings are frequent targets. Access control and monitoring valuables reduce risks.
Cybersecurity Threats: Houses of worship are vulnerable to hacking, ransomware, and data breaches, especially as they rely on digital platforms. Implementing cybersecurity best practices is essential.
Internal Threats: Risks from disgruntled employees or volunteers, including theft or fraud, necessitate thorough background checks and clear protocols for handling sensitive information.
Proactive measures like risk assessments, security teams, and collaboration with law enforcement can mitigate these threats while maintaining a welcoming environment
Electric vehicle charging stations are addressed in the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) within two specific appendices:
Appendix RE: This appendix provides detailed requirements for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, focusing on both residential and commercial buildings. It includes definitions and infrastructure standards to ensure that new constructions are equipped to support electric vehicle charging
Appendix CG: This appendix offers guidance on electric vehicle power transfer and charging infrastructure, emphasizing the integration of EV-ready requirements into building designs. It outlines the necessary provisions for installing and managing EV charging stations, ensuring compliance with energy conservation standards
.These appendices are part of the broader efforts to incorporate EV infrastructure into building codes, promoting energy efficiency and supporting the transition to electric vehicles.
Recharging infrastructure at at Google’s Mountain View (California) campus | Pretty ugly, eh?
“Gas” 1940 Edward Hopper
This standard will be updated within a reconfigured code development cycle linked below:
Keep in mind that many electric vehicle safety and sustainability concepts will track in other titles in the ICC catalog. It is enlightening to see other energy related proposals tracking in the most recent Group A code revision cycle
The following proposals discussed during the Group A Hearings ended earlier this month are noteworthy:
R309.6 Electric vehicle charging stations and systems. Where provided, electric vehicle charging systems shall be installed in accordance with NFPA 70. Electric vehicle charging system equipment shall be listed and labeled in accordance with UL 2202. Electric vehicle supply equipment shall be listed and labeled in accordance with UL 2594.
IBC 406.2.7 Electric vehicle charging stations and systems. Where provided, electric vehicle charging systems shall be installed in accordance with NFPA 70. Electric vehicle charging system equipment shall be listed and labeled in accordance with UL 2202. Electric vehicle supply equipment shall be listed and labeled in accordance with UL 2594. Accessibility to electric vehicle charging stations shall be provided in accordance with Section 1108.
TABLE R328.5 MAXIMUM AGGREGATE RATINGS OF ESS (Energy Storage Systems) – PDF Page 1476
Incumbents are socking in EV concepts all across the ICC catalog. We refer them to experts in the Industrial Applications Society IEEE E&H Committee.
One of the more spirited debates in recent revision cycles is the following:
Who shall pay for electrical vehicle charging infrastructure?
The underlying assumption is that the electrification of the global transportation grid has a net benefit. We remain mute on that question; the question of net gain.
Of course, many proposals pointed the finger at the stakeholder with the deepest pockets. Accordingly, new commercial building owners will be required to install charging stations for new buildings. During 2018 and 2019 we tracked the action in the workspace below so that we could collaborate with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee:
Given that most higher education facilities are classified as commercial, the cost of charging stations will be conveyed into the new building construction budget unless the unit takes an exception. Generally speaking, most colleges and universities like to display their electric vehicle credentials, even if the use of such charging stations remains sparse.
Cornell University
Issue: [11-40]
Category: Electrical, #SmartCampus
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey
* The education industry has significant square footage this is classified as residential; particularly on the periphery of large research campuses.
Electrical building — World Columbian Exposition, Chicago, Illinois 1892
The International Code Council bibliography of electrical safety practice incorporates titles published by the National Fire Protection Association which reference electrical safety science titles published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. The relevant section of the International Building Code is therefore relatively short:
Note that Chapter 27 provides more guidance on managing the hazards created when electricity is absent*. Since the National Electrical Code is informed by a fire safety building premise wiring culture; absence of electricity is not as great a hazard as when building wiring systems are energized. (“So they say” — Mike Anthony, who thinks quite otherwise.)
Although we collaborate most closely with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee (four times monthly in Europe and the Americas) we e encourage our colleagues in education communities everywhere to participate directly in the ICC Code Development process. CLICK HERE to set up an account.
It is enlightening — and a time saver — to unpack the transcripts of previous revisions of codes and standards to see what concepts were presented, what got discussed; what passed and what failed. We provide links to a few previous posts that track recent action in the ICC suite relevant to electrotechnologies:
The ICC suite of consensus products are relevant to almost all of our work; everyday. See our CALENDAR that reflects our Syllabus. Today we deal with electrical safety concepts because technical committees are meeting from November to January to write the 2023 National Electrical Code. CLICK HERE to follow the action in more detail.
* The original University of Michigan advocacy enterprise began pounding on National Electrical Code committees to install more power reliability concepts in the 2002 Edition with only modest success. Standards Michigan has since collaborated with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee to drive “absence-of-power-as-a-hazard” into the National Electrical Code; the 2023 now open for public consultation.
N.B.
Assuming building interior fire safety issues can be managed, one way of getting more electric vehicle charging stations built around campus is to install requirements into the building code — thereby putting the construction cost, operation, maintenance and risk upon real-asset Developers and Owners. Code change submittals for the Group A tranche of titles will be received until January 8, 2024.
New update alert! The 2022 update to the Trademark Assignment Dataset is now available online. Find 1.29 million trademark assignments, involving 2.28 million unique trademark properties issued by the USPTO between March 1952 and January 2023: https://t.co/njrDAbSpwBpic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
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