Evening star., 1939-10-14
Home Cost Cut Seen
# Building Codes
Are Standardized
=. n. A. Article Cites
Variations Tending to
Hinder Construction

The majority of the 1,500 building
, codes now in effect in the United
States should receive immediate
critical examination to determine
how far they are impeding the
Standardization of home construc-
ton techniques and materials and
retarding construction activity, &C
cording to Federal Housing Admin
istration officials.
Studies of building codes, con-
Quoted by the F. H. A. in connec-
ton with the preparation of To-
Called construction requirements
and property standards for proper
ties securing F. H. A.-insured mort
~gages, have disclosed wide varia-
tions and discrepancies in funda-
mental factual provisions of exist
ing codes.
So far as can be determined, many
variations cannot be justified on
grounds of public health or safety
or climatic variations, officials state
in an article appearing in the cur
rent issue of the Insured Mortgage
Portfolio, official F. H. A. publica-
ton.
Economy Seen.
CODES could and should show
fewer Emergencies in their require
ments,' the article continues
Greater economy in construction
costs could be effected through a
complete correlation of codes, with
out impairing their primary pur-
pose of protecting public health and
safety
Excessive code requirements
which impose added building costs
obviously must tend to retard con-
struction activity in the housing
field. Higher standards than are
necessary to public health and safety
result in waste and increased costs
without a proportional increase in
value. Failure to distinguish be-
tween essential requirements OF
large and small structures often i'm
poses a cost penalty on small build
ings.
Many codes fail to make provi-
sion for ready acceptance of new
materials and methods. When this
occurs, the public is denied the bene-
fits of possible cost savings or i'm
proved construction, the science of
building is retarded, invention is
discouraged and intelligent solu-
tion of a problem may be prevented.
Some 20 per cent of the building
codes in existence are from IS to 20
years old Many of these contain
obsolete standards and mandatory
features that today should be op-
tional rather than required Factors
Of safety have not been adjusted to
improved manufacturing processes
which now produce materials of
more uniform quality and depend
ability"
Room Sizes Stipulated.
Typical of other variations is that
in stipulated minimum room sizes,
ceiling heights, etc. Minimum"
rooms contain from go to 100 square
feet, and ceiling height requirements
range from minimums of feet to 9
feet, depending on the city CODE
Fire protection provisions also
vary widely. III OTOeI 10 ODIaln q
rating as capable of resisting a four
hour fire, buildings in one city must
have inches of fireproofing cement
around steel columns. In another
city, however, 8 inches of masonry
is required to give the building the
same four-hour rating. The dis
crepancy shows either that fires are
hotter in the latter city or that re-
quirements are not based upon ac-
tual fact.
Also, at least four cities in the
East prohibit balloon-frame con-
struction. This restriction, the ar
ticle comments, lis difficult to under
stand, since this system of erecting
wood-framed structures has been
successfully used for many years in
other parts of the country"
. These examples are merely typical
Of the discrepancies found in codes.
Other and equally glaring examples
might be cited. All studies tend to
show that codes require restudy to
determine how far they are fulfilling
their function and how far they are
being used to freeze certain types
of construction practice in use.