CODES & STANDARDS
Integral to our mission is creating codes and standards and sharing our technical expertise with the building safety industry. In 2023, we launched a new code development process for the 2027 International Codes® and collaborated with international jurisdictions to create codes tailored to their communities. We also expanded our resources and standards to better meet industry needs. Take a closer look at top achievements from 2023 as we continued to support the built environment with industry-leading building codes and standards.
Highlights
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Code Council, the Saudi Building Code National Committee and the Gulf Standardization Organization to pave the way for the release of the Gulf Building Codes.
The new code development process was launched that incorporates two committee action hearings for each code group. This change expands the current process from two independent one-year cycles to a single continuous three-year cycle.
Standards and Guidelines
The 2024 International Codes were released
Developed the first edition of ICC 1210: Standard for Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing Systems, Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation in Off-site Construction.
Published new Guideline G6, Guideline on Advanced Panelization, in response to the continuing needs of the off-site construction industry.
Began new development projects for standard ICC 1150: Standard for 3D Automated Construction Technology for 3D Concrete Walls and Guideline G7: Existing Building Inspection Guideline.
The Code Council was accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) as a standards developing organization (SDO) to develop National Standards of Canada and participate on the SCC advisory committee for Canadian standards developing organizations (SDOAC).
Existing Building Safety – A Guideline for Inspection was published to provide guidance to contractors, property owners, building managers, design professionals and code professionals regarding maintenance and milestone inspections on existing buildings.
Plumbing, Mechanical & Fuel Gas
Fifteen state-specific PMG training courses were developed for ICC Training.
PMG participated in their first international water/drainage symposium in Belgium (CIB W062) that included academia and industry experts from around the world.
The Code Council announced its sponsorship of Pfister’s Season 5 of American Plumber Stories.
Innovation and
Off-site Construction
The Code Council began an initiative to advance off-site construction.
Launched a global initiative in support of the internationally endorsed Buildings Breakthrough focused on effective code adoption, implementation and capacity building.
The Code Council published the resource Building Codes and the International Agenda as the basis for our participation at COP28.
The Code Council released a resource on the intersection of energy codes and building performance standards to support a holistic approach to addressing building energy use.
Our tiny house initiative was launched in support of the Code Council's off-site construction initiative, including development of resources to support implementation. With the Tiny Home Industry Association, initiated development of ICC/THIA Standard 1215 on Tiny Houses used as Permanent Dwellings.
The Code Council created an Ad Hoc Committee on Batteries and Energy Storage to explore how building safety is impacted by the manufacturing, storage, use and recycling of batteries and energy storage systems.
National Labs study finds updating to the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code® can reduce deaths from extreme heat by as much as 80 percent.
The International Code Council’s Code on a Mission campaign surpassed the challenge’s goal to get over a third of the U.S. population (115 million Americans) covered by energy codes based on the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code® (IECC) or equivalent by the end of 2023. There are now over 119 million Americans who will benefit from modern energy codes based on the 2021 IECC.
