Codes and Standards
Stay on top of the latest news related to building codes, standards, and regulations with BD+C's Codes and Standards blog. Topics include: green building, seismic design, high-wind design, water conservation, energy efficiency, and building performance tracking and measuring. To submit a topic for consideration, please email David Barista, Editor-in-Chief, at dbarista@sgcmail.com.
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Energy Star scores and LEED certifications do not always equate to optimal energy efficiency, according to efficiency specialists. "We found [just] 45% savings in a LEED Platinum building; it was actually an energy hog," says the vice president of marketing for Retroficiency, a start-up firm...
The development of low-energy buildings is stunted, asserts sustainable building guru Jerry Yudelson, and he has a provocative explanation for his view. “Most engineers and architects know how to deliver low-energy buildings, but don’t do it because they don’t use or follow integrated design...
The development of low-energy buildings is stunted, asserts sustainable building guru Jerry Yudelson, and he has a provocative explanation for his view. “Most engineers and architects know how to deliver low-energy buildings, but don’t do it because they don’t use or follow integrated design...
Over the past year, OSHA has been cracking down on contractors that violate fall safety standards. While it’s critical that all workers adhere to OSHA rules to avoid fines, but building teams should concentrate chiefly on making the job site safe even if that means going beyond what OSHA requires....
Seattle officials want to green up their building stock, and one of their tools is implementing a Living Building Challenge pilot program that would allow construction of buildings taller than the present height limits in certain areas. To have a height exception approved, the building would have...
On July 1, California added enhancements and improvements to the CalGreen Building Code that set higher standards for conserving water, saving energy, and improving indoor air quality. The code enhancements also provide a flexible framework for green design.
For example, the original code made...
The proliferation of green standards has some developers yearning for a better-coordinated, simpler approach to defining sustainable structures. The current generation of green building evaluation mechanisms including LEED, Green Globes, the Living Building Challenge, EPA’s Building Performance...
After over 70 Congressman wrote to the General Services Administration criticizing proposed LEED 2012 credits on building materials, the US Green Building Council has started to fight back. The criticism pertains to proposed credits that may encourage alternatives to certain building materials now...
Three key federal agencies—General Services Administration, Department of Defense, and Department of Energy—are reexamining green building standards for the government. At issue is which of three standards, LEED, The Green Building Initiative’s Green Globes, and the International Living Future...
The California Energy Commission approved more-stringent energy efficiency standards for buildings. The measures will require hot-water pipes to be insulated and roofs to be able to accommodate photovoltaic panels. The regulations will cover construction of new residential and commercial buildings...
