# Presentation: 791109

## Model Building Codes Status and Support Infrastructure

*National Evaluation Service, Inc**.*

**NIST Workshop on Conformity Assessment for a Changing Government**
**December 3, 2001**
**Si Farvardin, Program Manager**

## Goal

**Goal**

**A better understanding of the International Code Council’s model building codes and efforts of the National Evaluation Service related to conformity assessment of innovative building products with respect to those codes**

## U.S. Situation Codes and Standards

- Numerous voluntary and public sector standards developers
- Three developers of model codes
- developed a single and coordinated family of model building codes
- are consolidating as the International Code Council
- Federal, state, and local government adoption and implementation of voluntary sector standards and model codes
- Increased national uniformity through adoption of the ICC International Codes

## ICC Formation 

**ICC Formation **
**December 1994**

## Development of Codes and Standards

- ICC code development process
- Any person, corporation or entity can participate
- Regulatory-based consensus
- Predictable agenda, no surprises
- Two cycles every three years
- Two hearings per cycle
- Proposed revisions to the process
- Full consensus-based voting
- Full Consolidation - January 2003

## Support Infrastructure for the ICC Codes

- Education and Training
- Certification Programs for Personnel
- Plan Review
- Code Interpretations
- Automated Products
- Technical Handbooks

## Determining Compliance with the ICC Codes

- Specific prescriptive provisions - simple plan review and construction inspection
- Specific provisions that rely on reference standards and other criteria not easily field verified - testing and certification by third parties
- Few if any specific provisions - verification of equivalency with other materials and methods already accepted through **EVALUATION and ASSESSMENT**

## The Need for Technology Evaluation and Assessment

- Adopted codes and standards criteria tend to lag behind new technology development and deployment
- It is difficult to easily determine if new technologies meet minimum building code requirements; especially if they are not mentioned in the code
- Each code official would need to expend time and resources to determine how they were going to evaluate code compliance on the basis of equivalent performance
- Each code official would then need to conduct an independent assessment based on the evaluation method they developed

*National Evaluation Service, Inc.*

## The Key to Technology Evaluation and Assessment

- Alternative Materials, Design and Methods of Construction (Chapter 1 of the model building codes)
- The code is not intended to prevent anything not specifically prescribed by the code when such alternative has been approved by the code official
- The code official can approve an alternative when it is found what is proposed is equivalent to that            prescribed by the code

*National Evaluation Service, Inc.*

## The Purpose of Technology Evaluation and Assessment	

- Provide a defensible basis for code compliance and safety assurance
- Save time and money for the technology proponent and users of the technology
- Make the code official’s job easier
- Facilitate technology acceptance and associated benefits
- Improve uniformity of code interpretation          and application

*National Evaluation Service, Inc.*

## National Evaluation Reports

- Provide basis for compliance with  the               International Codes and 3 Model Codes:
- 2000 International Building Code
- 1999 Standard Building Code
- 1997 Uniform Building Code
- 1999 BOCA National Building Code
- Relationship to the ICC:
- Cooperative relationship and co-location
- ICC Logo appears on all new reports

## National Evaluation Reports

- NES evaluation reports provide:
- Identification of the technology
- Scope of evaluation
- Technology description and relevant installation details
- Information on labeling
- List of testing and other documentation
- Conditions of acceptance and use

*National Evaluation Service, Inc.*

## The Evaluation Process

- Addresses evaluation and assessment in a way that would satisfy the majority of code official’s “approval” authority
- Eliminates time and effort associated with each state or local agency designing an evaluation method and then performing the evaluation
- A benchmark for all parties to rely on and upon which uniformity can be realized

*National Evaluation Service, Inc.*

## What Does this Mean for Federal Agencies?

**Savings in manpower and money**
- Codes exist upon which Federal construction requirements can be based
- A support infrastructure for those codes exists that readily applies to and can be used by Federal agencies
- Evaluation and assessment of new building            technology is ongoing and available                         to Federal agencies

*National Evaluation Service, Inc.*

## CONTACTING the ICC or the NES

**CONTACTING the ICC ****or the NES**

- International Code Council National Evaluation Service
- 5203 Leesburg Pike, Suite 600
- Falls Church, VA 22041
- 703-931-4533 (ICC)
- 703-931-2187 (NES)
- www.intlcode.org
- www.nateval.org