Masonry Magazine April 1997 Page. 8
The Changing Environment of Masonry Building Codes
In the year 2000 a new building code system will be in place throughout the United States. The three model code organizations, Building Officials Code Administrators International, International Conference of Building Officials, and the Southern Building Code Congress International, have all committed to developing a family of international codes under the International Code Council. What this means is that by the year 2000 all three code groups have committed to this time frame a single group of codes will be available for the administration of building laws and regulations. A single set of building codes will foster national unity and allow the construction industry to compete more effectively in an international setting.
The masonry industry is taking a proactive stance now to assure that this new building code system is based on most appropriate masonry design and construction provisions. A masonry industry liaison organization, the Masonry Alliance for Codes and Standards, was formed to provide technical expertise and recommendations for the new building code, titled the International Building Code. Once completed, the International Building Code will replace the Uniform Building Code, the National Building Code, and the Standard Building Code which are currently the predominate model codes for the western, northeast, and southeast United States, respectively. This evolution of model building codes will have several effects on the masonry industry:
It will lead to much greater consistency for masonry design and construction provisions
There will be one set of code development hearings to monitor and participate in rather that three separate hearings each year
It creates an opportunity for the masonry industry to present model building code provisions through a single forum, the Masonry Alliance for Codes and Standards
The publication of the International Building Code means that provisions for materials, design, and construction will be adopted to assure consistency of practices. Producers will have more consistent requirements that their products will comply with standards for strength and constructability. Designers will no longer be subject to regional provisions that limit the use of masonry. Contractors will now be able to work in different regions knowing they can comply with quality assurance and inspection criteria.
To gain a better understanding of the impact on the masonry industry, examples are presented showing