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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The 2012 Uniform Plumbing Code includes significant changes, with new provisions for alternative water sources for non-potable applications, rainwater catchment systems, plumbing facilities, and joining methods for water supply and drainage piping. This edition has improved layout design features,...
Green building standards carry risks and potential liabilities that could lead to lawsuits, according to a British Columbia Construction Association report. The BCCA says it is very supportive of sustainable construction, but that it’s essential for those who embrace new concepts to investigate the...
Zero-energy commercial buildings are both feasible and affordable, and they are appearing all across the U.S., according to a report from the New Buildings Institute (NBI) and the Zero Energy Commercial Building Consortium (CBC). The report, Getting to Zero 2012 Status Update: A First Look at the...
ASHRAE is expected to release “ASHRAEStandard 188: Prevention of Legionellosis Associated with Building Water Systems”this summer. The new standard will require that facility managers implement stronger safeguards through proactive risk assessment and risk management practices to prevent...
A recent study titled, “Identification of Safety Risks for High Performance Sustainable Construction Projects,” by the University of Colorado, Boulder, found that LEED construction locations had a 50% higher injury rate than non-LEED sites. This study, and subsequent reporting and analysis, stirred...
A technical report on the failure of the Canterbury Television building during an earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand in February 2011 illustrates how important seismic codes are in saving lives. The collapse killed 115 people, including 65 foreign students. The 6.3 magnitude earthquake claimed...
Regulations will spur Europe to lead in zero energy buildings, while in North America, the near-term focus will be on building energy-management systems (BEMS). BEMS is being installed by owners of existing buildings who want to lower their energy costs, a move that has a fairly quick payback. A...
New York has made substantial progress on enacting standards and codes to help it achieve its goal of becoming one of the world’s greenest cities, but the biggest challenges may lie ahead. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn recently announced that 29 recommendations...
Architecture 2030’s ambitious energy efficiency and carbon-reduction goals appear to be achievable. According to newly released data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the Annual Energy Outlook (AEO), projections of residential and commercial building energy use in 2030 have...
When a building designed to meet LEED standards fails to perform as expected or does not qualify for LEED certification, finding who is at fault and what remedies are available to the owner is a legal gray area. While owners and contractors understand the certification process for new green...
