International Code Council
[6] According to the ICC, the IBC is intended to protect public health and safety while avoiding both unnecessary costs and preferential treatment of specific materials or methods of construction.
The Uniform Codes published by the International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) were used primarily throughout the West Coast and across a large swath of the middle of the country to most of the Midwest.
[9] There were several free trade developments that led to the founding of ICC: the ratification of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the formation of the European Union, and the EU's efforts to unify standards for building design, construction, and materials across the European Single Market (the Eurocodes).
[9] The word "International" in the names of the ICC and all three of its predecessors, as well as the IBC and other ICC products, despite all 18 of the company's board members being residents of the United States, reflects the fact that a number of other countries in the Caribbean and Latin America had already begun to rely on model building codes developed in the United States rather than developing their own.
Subsequent efforts by ICC and NFPA to reach agreement on this and other documents were unsuccessful, resulting in a series of disputes between the two organizations.
After several failed attempts to find common ground with the ICC, NFPA withdrew from participation in development of the International Codes and joined with the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Western Fire Chiefs Association to create an alternative set of codes.
Unlike the IBC, the NFPA 5000 conformed to ANSI-established policies and procedures for the development of voluntary consensus standards.
The NFPA's move to introduce a competing building standard received strong opposition from powerful trade groups such as the American Institute of Architects (AIA), BOMA International and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
The code book itself (2000 edition) totals over 700 pages and chapters include: The phrase "means of egress" refers to the ability to exit the structure, primarily in the event of an emergency, such as a fire.
This includes maneuvering from public transportation, building entry, parking spaces, elevators, and restrooms.
The plans are subject to review for compliance with current building codes as part of the permit application process.
However, accessibility standards – similar to those referenced in the model building codes – may be retroactive subject to the applicability of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which is a federal civil rights requirement.
[13] Although such remedial enactments address existing conditions, they do not violate the United States Constitution's ban on the adoption of ex post facto law, as they do not criminalize or seek to punish past conduct.
[citation needed] Multiple jurisdictions have found the application of new requirements to old, particularly historic buildings, challenging.
New Jersey, for example, has adopted specific state amendments (see New Jersey's Rehabilitation Subcode) to provide a means of code compliance to existing structures without forcing the owner to comply with rigid requirements of the currently adopted Building Codes where it may be technically infeasible to do so.
A 2019 New York Times story revealed a secret agreement with the National Association of Home Builders that allowed the industry group, which represents the construction industry, to limit improvements in the code that would make buildings more environmentally sustainable and resistant to natural disasters, prompting a congressional investigation.
[18] Due to this restriction, the architectural floor plans of tall buildings that comply with the IBC are severely limited.
[21] Additionally, the lack of windows on the corridor side results in reduced cross-ventilation,[22] and higher construction costs due to less efficient use of space.
Since the 2000s US case law has increasingly focused on whether copyright’s fair use doctrine permits public-access groups to make incorporated by reference (IBR) standards available online.
