Introduction to Building Codes

Babylonian Code of Hammurabi

1780 BC

“If a builder build a house

for someone and does
not construct it properly,
and the house which he
built fall in and kill its
owner, then that builder
shall be put to death.”
Purpose of Building Codes
• Health, safety, and well-being of the public
• Protection of human life

Professionals are licensed because the

public’s safety is in their hands
Engineering Failures

2007 Minneapolis Bridge Collapse

US History of Building Codes

Fires in the 1800s

prompted insurance
companies to
demand building
codes for structures

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871

Building Officials and Code
Administration (BOCA)

• The first major model-code group

• Founded in 1915
• Located in Country Club Hills, Illinois
• Codes were adopted predominantly in the
north central and northeastern states
International Conference
of Building Officials (ICBO)

• Formed in 1922
• Located in Whittier, CA
• First edition of the Uniform Building Code
published in 1927
• Adopted by states west of the Mississippi
River
Southern Building Code
Conference

• Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama

• Founded in 1940
• Published the Southern Building Code
• Widely accepted in the southeast
International Code
Council (ICC)

• Uniform system of codes

was necessary
• Representatives from each of the code
organizations formed the ICC in 1994
• First edition of the International Building
Code published in 2000
ICC Codes
• International Residential Code (IRC)
• International Building Code (IBC)
• International Mechanical Code
• International Plumbing Code
• International Energy Conservation Code
• ICC Electrical Code
• Others
International Residential Code for
One- and Two-Family Dwellings(IRC)
• Addresses design and
construction of one- and two-
family dwellings and townhomes
• Local municipalities can adopt
the IRC but may publish
modifications
• Modifications and specifications
are generally published on the
Internet
for all to reference
International Residential Code
• IRC applies to homes consisting of
three stories, or less, above grade
• Covers conventional residential construction
• Covers all home components and systems
• Structural systems
• Thermal insulation
• Mechanical systems
• Plumbing systems
• Electrical systems
• Fuel gas systems
• Fireplaces and chimneys
International Residential Code
Chapter 3 – Building Planning

Habitable Space: A space in a building for

living, sleeping, eating, or cooking.

Bathrooms, toilet rooms, closets, halls,

storage or utility spaces, and similar areas
are not considered habitable space.
International Residential Code
Chapter 3 – Building Planning
• Section R303 – Light, Ventilation, and
Heating
• Section R304 – Minimum Room Areas
• Section R310 – Emergency Escape and
Rescue Openings
• Section R311 – Means of Egress
Introduction to Building Codes

• Babylonian Code of Hammurabi

• Purpose of Building Codes
• Engineering Failures
• US History of Building Codes
• Building Officials and Code Administration
• International Conference of Building Officials
• Southern Building Code Conference
• International Code Council
• ICC Codes
• International Residential Code
• IRC – Chapter 3 – Building Planning
References
International Code Council (n.d). Retrieved on March 21,
2012 at http://www.iccsafe.org/Pages/default.aspx
Hooker, R. The code of Hammurabi (1996). Retrieved
March 21, 2012 at
http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/CODE.HTM
International Code Council. 2009 international residential
code (2009). United States: International Code Council,
Inc.