Building Codes and Standards 101

What is the purpose of building codes and standards?

Throughout North America, we take comfort in knowing that our homes and building stock are considered safe and resilient.

When we enter a building, we generally do it without concern or hesitation for our personal safety or wellbeing. 

We take it for granted that the design and construction are sound and will hold up to the rigors of nature and time.  People are right to expect that their homes, workplaces, schools, hospitals and other structures are safe.

This long-standing expectation is founded on the existence of building codes and standards—a comprehensive set of interconnected regulations that are designed to govern new construction, renovations/remodels, repairs and demolitions.

While building codes have several objectives, their primary goal is to protect public health, safety, and wellbeing as it relates to the construction and occupancy of buildings.

A brief history of building codes and standards

Prior to the creation of Model National Building Codes, the criteria and performance standards were left to each municipality to develop, which resulted in a multitude of different guidelines and regulations.

Sometimes similarities existed between the municipalities, although often codes and standards from one municipality to the other could be unique or even contradictory.

The vast array of variations in codes and standards across many municipalities made it difficult for architects, specifiers, and designers, as well as manufacturers and contractors to offer solutions to address diverse needs. 

This hampered their ability to conduct business effectively across larger geographic regions.  To address this, a more universal and standardized system developed, from which model codes emerged. 

While model codes can be adopted in whole or revised on the local level, codes and standards endeavor to form a mostly uniform regulatory framework across a region or nation.  

PART 2: BUILDING CODES THROUGHOUT NORTH AMERICA

The United States

From residential to commercial, to fire, energy and green building codes and standards, we’ve provided a detailed overview of what you need to know in 2019 and beyond. Continue below for two sections – the first looking at codes, and the second, the standards that are referenced within the codes.

Building codes in the U.S.

Regardless of the scale of your project, when beginning a new project, it is important to ensure that you will meet all required building codes for your state and when applicable, city. Below is an overview of the International Code Council (ICC) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), two of the more instrumental sets of code requirements for advancing public safety in the built environment.

The International Code Council (ICC)

To address the patchwork of codes across the United States, the International Code Council (ICC) was founded in 1994.  It merged three existing model code organizations—the Building Officials and Code Administrators International (BOCA), the International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) and the Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc. (SBCCI).  The ICC consolidation became final in 2003, resulting in a single organization with over 100 years of history and experience developing model building codes. 

The ICC publishes building codes applicable to commercial, institutional and residential structures.  These codes guide the compliance process to ensure safe, sustainable, and resilient construction.  The ICC is based on a set of 15 integrated and geographically-specific model codes, known collectively as the I-codes.  Below are a few of the most relevant energy and fire-related codes, all of which serve as living documents that are periodically reviewed to align with changing practices in the building industry:

• International Building Code (IBC): The IBC is a model building code that addresses both health and safety concerns for buildings based upon prescriptive and performance-related requirements. The IBC has been widely adopted by jurisdictions across the United States as well as several other countries. The code provisions are intended to protect public health and safety while avoiding both unnecessary costs and preferential treatment of specific materials or methods of construction.
• International Residential Code (IRC): The IRC is a comprehensive model code for residential buildings that establishes minimum regulations for dwellings of three stories or less. It combines provisions for many elements and systems pertaining to residential home construction including building, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, energy and electrical.
• International Existing Building Code (IEBC): The IEBC establishes minimum regulations for upgrades and improvements addressing the alteration, addition or change of occupancy in existing buildings.  It uses prescriptive and performance-based provision and is intended to ensure public health and safety pertaining to the existing building stock.
• International Green Construction Code (IgCC): The IgCC provides the design and construction industry with an effective means of delivering more sustainable, resilient and high-performing buildings. Formed through a partnership between AIA, ASHRAE, ICC, IES, and USGBC, the IgCC represents a formula for green building codes that works toward a new era that includes environmental health and safety as code minimums.
• International Energy Conservation Code (IECC): The IECC is designed to meet the needs of an up-to-date energy conservation code through model code regulations that will result in the optimal use of fossil fuel and renewable resources. The code contains separate provisions for commercial buildings and low-rise residential buildings (defined as being three stories or less in height above grade).
• International Fire Code (IFC): The IFC was created to satisfy model code regulations for an up-to-date fire code addressing conditions hazardous to life and property from fire, explosion, and the handling or use of hazardous materials. The comprehensive fire code establishes minimum regulations for fire prevention and fire protection systems that safeguard public health and safety.
• International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC): The IWUIC is a model code that is intended to be adopted and used supplemental to the adopted building and fire codes of a jurisdiction. The code has established minimum special regulations for the safeguarding of life and property from wildland fire exposures, fires from adjacent structures and to prevent structural fires from spreading. We expand on the wildland urban interface and its impact below.

Building on what was mentioned above with respect to a periodic review, the I-codes are updated every three years.  Individual jurisdictions (e.g. states or municipalities) then review the newly developed codes and decide if they can be phased in, typically within two years to allow for education and training for the building industry workforce and for building inspectors.  However, it should be noted that not all jurisdictions adopt or implement code updates as they are introduced.  For example, some U.S. states are still using 2009 or older code versions, this includes the following based reporting by the ICC as of April 2019:

• International Building Code: older versions are still being used in Texas (2003) and New Hampshire (2009), while seven states had no statewide adoption of the IBC.
• International Residential Code: older versions of the IRC are being used in Texas (2000), Indiana (2003), New Hampshire (2009), Ohio (2009) and Tennessee (2009). Twelve states had no statewide adoption of the IRC.
• International Fire Code: previous versions are in place in New Mexico (2003) and Kansas (2006), with 20 states still having no statewide adoption of the IFC.
• International Energy Conservation Code: most states that have adopted the 2009 version or a more current version.  The exceptions are Mississippi (2003) and Kansas (2006).  There are still eight states without statewide adoption of the IECC.

As discussed earlier, the International model codes can still be adopted or modified on a state or local level.  Most states have adopted some form of the IBC, although Chicago remains the only municipality in America that continues to use a building code the city developed on its own as part of the Municipal Code of Chicago. 

NFPA Codes and Standards

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) was the first to develop model codes. NFPA develops, publishes and disseminates more than 300 consensus codes and standards designed to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other hazards. The list reflects the changing industry needs and evolving technologies, and are periodically reviewed by more than 9,000 volunteer committee members with a wide range of professional expertise. Below are two of the most prominent fire safety codes, the NFPA 101 life safety, and the well-known NFPA 285 standard.

NFPA 101 life safety code

The NFPA life safety code is their most widely used source of information in the design and construction of new buildings, as well as renovations to existing structures, all with focus on protecting people and occupants from the effects of fire and related hazards.

In recognition of the challenges of applying new technologies and regulations to existing buildings, the code makes a distinction between new construction and existing buildings.  This allows for some level of ‘grandfathering’ provisions for existing buildings.

See below for a summary of the civilian injuries resulting from reported structural fires in the U.S. These figures show the importance of containing a fire to the building of origin and are an important input to for increasingly stringent fire safety building codes.

Building standards in the U.S.

Test Standards like NFPA 285 consist of technical definitions, procedures, and guidelines that specify minimum requirements to manufacturers and installers. 

NPFA 285 Standard 

Arguably the most common standard focused on fire-safe construction of exterior walls to reduce fire spread, NFPA 285 provides a test method for determining the fire propagation characteristics of exterior wall assemblies and panels used as components of exterior wall assemblies constructed using combustible materials or that incorporate combustible components. In more plain English, it’s a way of evaluating flame propagation of an exterior wall assembly exposed to standardized fire exposure.

Exterior fire provisions are among the least understood aspect for the architect, designer, and building owners community.  However, NFPA 285 (referenced by the IBC and all NFPA codes) serves as an important safeguard for modern buildings. Despite this, many building types in the U.S. still have no exterior fire provisions. 

There remains a need to ensure that advancements in building energy efficiency do not come at the cost of fire and life safety protection, as greater amounts of insulation—in many cases highly combustible—will undoubtedly be added to North America’s building stock to achieve better energy performance.  Non-combustible building materials can be an effective solution, with the added benefit that a façade constructed of non-combustible materials will not trigger NFPA 285 testing.

Canada

Whether you’re an architect, contractor, building owner, or another member of the construction business, if you are building new or fixing existing structures you need to understand the building codes and standards that are applicable for you. Below we provide an overview of the most influential codes across Canada with links to find local building codes and those that are relevant in your province or territory.

Building codes in Canada

Serving as a set of rules that establish minimum requirements to which a new home or building can be structured, building codes ensure that energy efficiency, public health, and safety are always top of mind. In Canada, jurisdiction over building codes is a provincial responsibility.

The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) publishes five national model codes, in English and in French, which must be adopted by a regulatory authority to come into effect. In some cases, the Codes are amended and/or supplemented to suit regional needs, and then published as provincial codes.

Canada’s constitution empowers the provinces and territories to regulate the design and construction of new houses and buildings, as well as the maintenance and operation of fire safety systems in existing buildings. While the national model codes (Building, Fire, Plumbing, Energy Codes) are prepared centrally under the direction of the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes, adoption and enforcement of the codes are the responsibility of the provincial and territorial authorities. The National Model codes in Canada include the following:

National Building Code of Canada

The National Building Code of Canada (NBC)  addresses the design and construction of new buildings and the substantial renovation of existing buildings. This is the code on which provincial and territorial building codes are based.

Fire Code

The National Fire Code of Canada (NFC)  provides minimum fire safety codes and requirements for buildings, apartments, structures, and areas where hazardous materials are used, and addresses fire protection and fire prevention in the ongoing operation of buildings and facilities. The National Building Code in Canada is updated approximately every five years.

Other building codes for the Canadian market:

• The National Plumbing Code (NPC) covers the design and installation of plumbing systems in buildings and facilities.
• The National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings (NECB) provides minimum energy efficiency requirements for the design and construction of all new buildings and additions save farm buildings and those buildings falling under the scope of NBC Part 9.
• The National Farm Building Code (NFBC) provides relaxations of the requirements in the NBC to address the particular needs of farm buildings.

Building standards in Canada

Standards establish accepted practices, technical requirements, and terminologies for the industry and are distinct from codes, although standards may be referenced in code requirements.

CAN/ULC S134 Standard

This standard test method determines the comparative burning characteristics of exterior wall assemblies by evaluating a fire spread over the exterior surface. 

CAN/ULC S134 (referenced in all provinces) in Canada serves as an important safeguard for modern buildings. Despite this, many housing and building types in Canada have little or no exterior fire testing provisions.  This continues to be of significant concern, particularly with C40 city targets across Canada as well as the Pan Canadian Framework for Climate Change aiming for net-zero ready buildings by 2032.

The regulatory bodies in Canada continue to focus on advancing building energy efficiency while balancing fire and life safety protection. Non-combustible elements in exterior walls represent the gold standard and can be an effective solution for North America’s building stock. 

Below you can see a map outlining adoption of national building codes by provinance and territory. Note that some provinces have developed their own building standards to reflect regional needs.

Building codes and standards in the U.S. and Canada

While many of the building industry’s codes and standards are unique to a given country or local market requirements, some standards are broadly adopted across North America. 

ASTM Standards

ASTM International, formerly known by its full name, the American Society for Testing and Materials, is an international standards organization that develops and publishes international voluntary consensus standards for materials, products, systems, and services.

There are more than 12,000 ASTM standards operating globally across more than 150 major industries and they can be classified into one of the following six types of ASTM international standards categories, which are explained below in greater detail with the volume of applicable standards in brackets:

• Classification standards (170) are systemic arrangements or divisions of materials, products, systems or services into groups based on similar characteristics such as origin, composition, properties or use.
• Test standards (5,500) are defined as procedures that produce a test result. These can include identification, measurement, and evaluation of one or more qualities, characteristics or properties.
• Terminology standards (230) contain definitions of terms and explanations of symbols, abbreviations, and acronyms.
• Guide standards (1,300) are a collection of information or a series of options that does not recommend a specific course of action.  They generally outline the knowledge and approaches being implemented in a given subject area.
• Specification standards (3,200) are requirements that must be met by a material, product, system or service.  These requirements can include physical, mechanical, chemical safety, quality or performance criteria.
• Practice standards (2,200) are instructions for performing one or more operations that does not generate test results.  This can include application, assessment, cleaning collection, inspection, preparation, sampling, and training.

Summary

The conversation around the importance of fire safety in buildings has never been more relevant, as fire and energy code requirements grow more stringent.  As a result, the way homes and buildings are constructed is changing as we seek to meet these new climatic and design challenges. 

Codes and standards are critical to establishing and maintaining a built environment that is safe, resilient, sustainable and efficient.  These key guidelines, provisions, and regulations serve to create a framework that is meant to ultimately protect structures and occupants.

Code provisions that pertain to insulation and insulation standards are expected to become increasingly important as fire, building and energy codes tighten.  Building envelope design is growing more complex, and as such, the understanding of applicable codes and standards in your local jurisdiction is paramount to achieving correct levels of insulation and proper install and detailing to achieve performance targets.

From thermal resistance requirements to fire safety and acoustical requirements, the myriad of codes and standards related to insulation and the broader built environment will continue to evolve.  The development of codes and standards remains an open, transparent and collaborative process to benefit from industry and stakeholder knowledge, innovations, advancement and best practices. 

An effective framework of codes and standards—and the ongoing revision process—also serve to create greater consistency allowing for a more competitive business and manufacturing landscape, important to the economic health and conducive to fostering further advancements in materials, products, building practices, and the built environment.  It ensures that we are continuing to move forward in a way that improves modern living – for the people and places that are an integral part of a thriving society.  Insulation is key to solutions that solve a diverse array of societal growth and development challenges.

It is for these reasons that ROCKWOOL strongly supports and is part of the collaborative process of advancing codes and standards in North America and internationally, as well.  As a forward-thinking company, we seek to innovate and drive change today that will result in a better tomorrow.  We’ve been actively doing so for more than 80 years, and our stone wool insulation products are part of solutions and progressive building practices that serve as a strong example of leading-edge developments globally.

ROCKWOOL’s research and development teams, our building scientists, our codes and standards professionals and our team of specification experts working with designers, architects and contractors in the field are continually putting forth key learnings and solutions that improve the safety and performance of buildings along with the wellbeing of their occupants in important areas that include fire safety, energy efficiency, sustainability, and comfort.

While the application of knowledge and innovation are variables driving change, there are also certain urgencies and realities that implore us to do better.  These include factors such as climate change and the advent of harsher and more extreme weather patterns that fuel our quest for more resilient, durable and sustainable, safe and efficient design and construction.

Sources

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• _{https://nrc.canada.ca/en/certifications-evaluations-standards/codes-canada/codes-development-process/how-national-codes-are-developed}
• _{https://www.iccsafe.org/wp-content/uploads/ICC-CDP-How-It-Works.pdf}
• _{https://www.iccsafe.org/products-and-services/i-codes/code-development/}
• _{https://cdn-web.iccsafe.org/wp-content/uploads/Master-I-Code-Adoption-Chart-apr-2019.xlsx}
• _{https://nrc.canada.ca/en/certifications-evaluations-standards/codes-canada/model-code-adoption-across-canada}
• _{https://www.astm.org/studentmember/StandardsProcess.html}
• _{https://www.astm.org/MEMBERSHIP/standardsdevelop.html}
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