Archinect - News

NCARB updates ARE 5.0 Guidelines

2024-03-01T08:00:00-05:00

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) has shared an update to its official ARE guidelines effective this week (February 27).

The updated ARE 5.0 Guidelines include changes to exam security policies and the ARE 5.0 Reference Guide. The revision also covers new building code references and the retirement of quantitative-fill-in-the-blank (QFIB) items that were announced previously in December.

A new set of exam data forensics protocols has been introduced to enhance existing data analysis. NCARB notes this will impact the timing of test scores results being released. Official score reports will now take between seven and ten days to process. Exam security and candidate misconduct policies have been updated as well.

Importantly, all code-related items on the ARE 5.0 will now reference the 2021 International Code Council (ICC) family of codes and related standards...

Scientific American opinion piece calls on building codes to ‘save money and lives’

2023-09-06T10:43:00-04:00

Scientific American has published an opinion piece by the publication’s editors, highlighting the role of building codes in saving “money and lives.” Citing the growing number of “multibillion-dollar disasters” striking the United States, the opinion piece makes the argument that buildings built to meet or surpass stricter building codes have demonstrated more resiliency than buildings built before such codes were introduced.

In setting out its case, the piece looks to the model standards set by the International Code Council, which are updated every three years in response to testing of building methods, surveys conducted after disasters, and other research. The editors cite a 2018 Land Economics study that found that houses built after Florida adopted statewide codes based on the ICC’s model say 72% fewer insured losses from wind-related damage, while a separate FEMA/National Institute of Building Sciences report found that for every $1 spent on conforming to the 2018 ICC code, $1...

ICC's method for updating building codes is revised to ‘foster more in-depth vetting’

2023-03-02T11:25:00-05:00

The International Code Council is to revise its building code development process with changes taking effect in 2024. The new process for reviewing code change proposals will see a three-year rolling cycle encompassing Committee Action Hearings and a joint Public Comment Hearings / Online Governmental Consensus Vote session, with the 2027 I-Codes to be the first edition produced using the pathway.

In the new timeline, Year One will host two Committee Action Hearings for Group A Codes, while Year Two will host two Committee Action Hearings for Group B Codes. In Year Three, joint Public Comment Hearings and an Online Governmental Consensus Vote will be held for both Group A and B Codes.

ICC believes that the addition of the second Committee Actions Hearings in the first two years will allow for a more thorough vetting of code change proposals while allowing proponents more opportunities to build consensus for...

California adopts suite of high-rise timber regulations

2020-09-09T17:31:00-04:00

The California Building Standards Commission (CBSC) has adopted a series of new code regulations that pave the way for the state to begin to implement the widespread construction of tall mass timber buildings.

In late August, the CBSC moved to advance the adoption of recommendations made for the 2021 International Building Code that would articulate regulations for the creation of mass timber structures rising up to 18 stories in height using Type IV-A construction. With Type IV-B construction, the new regulations will allow buildings up to 12 stories tall, while Type IV-C codes will shape towers rising 9 stories high.

In a statement announcing the adoption of the new codes, State Fire Marshal Mike Richwine explains that “The early adoption of mass timber codes can be a benefit to California in many ways, but I would like to highlight three of those advantages in this proposal. Number 1, it has the potential to increase the market demand for mass timber production in California to ...

Who owns building codes?

2019-12-23T14:49:00-05:00

A copyright infringement lawsuit filed in 2017 against building industry startup company UpCodes by the International Code Council (ICC) is getting ready to head to court next year.

UpCodes is a for-profit company that dubs itself as a "searchable platform for building codes" by providing a variety of code-related services for designers and other building industry professionals, including a Revit plug-in that can scan building models for code compliance. This for-profit use of the ICC-generated code information is what's at issue in the lawsuit.

Samples of UpCode's desktop and mobile code software systems. Image courtesy of UpCodes.

Although International Building Code (IBC) guidelines are written into the building codes specified by nearly all municipalities in the country, the codes themselves are considered to be under copyright by the ICC. ICC, a non-profit entity, does the work of researching, writing, and periodically updating the codes itself, a service that is funded throug...

Can you guess the most common building code violations?

2019-11-11T12:08:00-05:00

A new report from the International Code Council ranks the top commercial building code violations in a variety of construction trades. The 2019 Common Code Noncompliance Survey Report also details the reasons behind the violations.

Construction Dive lists the top five causes for issues, according to inspectors as:

Workers that don't follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
A contractor’s lack of code knowledge.
Cost-cutting, such as using substandard building materials that don’t meet local requirements.
A lack of coordination between trades resulting in one trade covering up another’s work or not providing enough access for a subcontractor to perform critical work.
Damage to a trade’s work. This could occur, for example, if another trade penetrated existing firestopping while installing telephone or cable television wiring, reports Construction Dive.

Check out the Construction Dive article for an interactive guide of the specific violations covered in the full report. The subcategories covered look at plans, sitework/foundation, framing, building envelope, MEP, stairs/railing, and safety.

Oregon pioneers new wooden high-rise building codes

2018-08-28T19:20:00-04:00

Earlier this week, the Oregon Building Codes Division announced a statement of alternate method (SAM) that makes Oregon the first state to allow for construction of wooden high-rises without special consideration. Previously, Portland, Ore., was the first American city to issue a permit for an all-wood high-rise, Project’s 12-story-tall Framework.

The statement of alternate method (SAM) was developed over two years by a committee created from the International Code Council’s Board of Directors. The committee proposed 14 suggestions concerning cross-laminated timber standards and best-practices, which were all accepted by the Oregon Codes Division.

Cross-laminated timber is a new building material made by layering pieces of lumber in alternating directions and bonding them into panels. The material is strong enough to replace structural steel and concrete, and thick enough to resist burning.

Sign the petition to revise unisex bathroom code by July 17

2015-07-16T12:48:00-04:00

Many people have been in the frustrating position of waiting in line for a single-stall restroom while the restroom designated for the other gender sits empty. In establishments that have two single-user restrooms, making those restrooms inclusive of all genders will double the options for everyone.

The Transgender Law Center, along with numerous educational institutions, lawyers, architects, and building code experts, are petitioning the International Building Code to make all single-occupancy restrooms unisex. The petition will be submitted to the International Code Council by noon PDT this Friday, July 17th. Several cities, including Seattle, Santa Fe, and Washington, D.C., have already changed their building codes to allow single-occupancy bathrooms to be designated gender neutral. Those who wish to join the petition should email their name, the title of their organization and/or affiliation, and their geographical location to: info@designinpublic.org. Their names will be added to the full petition with a pre-formulated comment and then submitted to the ICC as a collective document.

As petition-supporter Susan Surface of Design in Public notes, "Current building codes typically require facilities to maintain separate Men's and Women's restrooms, including restrooms that are...