01 Overview of Codes

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431 LIFE SAFETY & CODES
Overview of Building Codes
What are building codes?
• Rules that indicate the minimum standards for design,
construction, and occupancy. Applies to building,
building site, and nonbuilding structures. Not meant
to intimidate. Codes are a live product of years of
evolution.
• Codes are a collection of requirements: Laws,
regulations, ordinances and other requirements
adopted by a government authority such as Dubai
Municipality or the Dubai Civil Defense here locally in
the UAE.
ARCH 431 LIFE SAFETY & CODES
Why do we need building codes?
• Laws are needed to inform us what can and
cannot be done with a property.
• Results will affect other people, rules need to be
followed for the benefit of others.
• Purpose is to protect the public health, safety, and
general welfare.
• Building codes are enforced in many places and
penalties are imposed in the case of violating
them.
• https://youtu.be/uxS9eXcnK7M
History & Precedents
• The existence of the Building Codes goes back over
4,000 years.
• The Babylonian Code of Hammurabi decreed the
death penalty for a builder if a house he
constructed collapsed and killed the owner. If the
collapse killed the owner’s son, the son of the
builder would be put to death, if goods were
damaged then the contractor must repay the
owner and so on. Laws 229‐233 of the Hammurabi’s Code of Laws
ca. 1780 BC from a stone slab discovered in 1901 and preserved on the
Louvre, Paris.
• The protection of health and safety of the public is
the basis for licensure of design professionals and
the reason the building regulations exist.
History & Precedents
• Various civilizations over the centuries developed
building codes.
• The origin of the codes used today come from the
great fires that swept American cities in the 1800s.
• Chicago developed a building code in 1875 to satisfy
the National Board of Fire Underwriters, who
threatened to cut off insurance for businesses after
the fire of 1871. It is important to keep the fire‐based
origins of the codes in mind when trying to
understand the reasoning behind many code
requirements.
• Mitigating the impact of hazards such as floods, high
winds, earthquakes, and wildland fires in populated
areas, has increasingly been included in the
development and evolution of codes.
History & Precedents: City Codes to Model Codes
• The Various city codes and often conflicting codes were refined
over the years and began to be brought together by regional
nongovernmental organizations to develop so‐called Model
Codes.
• The first Model Codes were written from the point of view of
insurance companies to reduce fire risks.
• Model Codes are developed by private code groups for
subsequent adoption by local and state government agencies as
legally enforceable regulations.
History & Precedents: the International Building Code
• The International Code Council ‐ICC‐ process was a
revolution in the development of model codes.
• Three model codes were reformatted into a common
format.
• The ICC is made up of representatives from three
model‐code groups and formed in 1994.
• In addition to the International Building Code (IBC), code
users must be familiar with the International Residential
Code (IRC) which is meant to regulate construction of
detached one and two family dwellings and townhouses
that are not more than 3 stories high.
• Also, most local jurisdictions make other modifications to
the codes in use in their communities. It is imperative
that the designer determines what local adaptation and
amendments have been made to be certain which codes
apple to a specific project.
History & Precedents: the Gulf Building Code
• The Gulf Building Code is unified regional code that is applied to building and construction
projects throughout the GCC.
• The unified code comprises of the following: architectural, construction, fire, green
buildings, renewable energy, maintenance of buildings, mechanical and electricity codes.
• The code primarily aims to protect the safety of building occupants and support
sustainable development in the GCC region whilst also achieving the highest level of
quality in building and construction. The code is also aiming to achieve reduced energy
use, preserve heritage and enhance the Arab and Islamic identity of the people in the GCC
region.
• The code is also expected to contain a system for assessing sustainable green buildings in
order to promote the protection of the environment, and global efforts to alleviate the
consequences of carbon emissions and the greenhouse effect.
History & Precedents: Americans With Disabilities Act
• There are also specific federal requirements that must be
considered in design and construction in addition to the locally
adopted version of the model codes.
• Among those are the ADA of 1990 and the Federal Fair Housing
Act 1988.
• The ADA requires that buildings must be made accessible to
persons with physical disabilities and certain defined mental
disabilities.
History & Precedents: Other Codes and Standards
• Codes and standards are related, but serve different purposes.
• A building Code is a Standard Practice, often referred to within the
codes.
• A code is what you must do. A standard is a guide on how you do it.
• There are a number of other codes and standards that the designer
must be familiar with.
History & Precedents: Rating Systems
• The most well known: The Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design ‐ LEED Program‐
• Developed by US Green Building Council (USGBC)
• LEED is not intended to be a code, although some jurisdictions
have adopted LEED criteria as code language.
• A rating system is a voluntary program based on options selected
by the owner and the design team rather than being a set of
requirement.
History & Precedents: Standard of Care
• Designers should always remember that codes are legally and ethically considered to be
the minimum criteria that must be met by the design and construction community.
• Protection of health, safety and welfare is the goal of these minimum standards.
• Remember that registered design professionals will be held accountable by legal and
ethical precedents to a much higher standard than the code minimum.
• The term (Standard of Care) is a legal term defining the level of quality of service that a
practitioner is expected to meet. This is higher than the minimum standards defined by
the codes.
• The code is the level that practitioners must never go below.
History & Precedents: Life Safety Vs. Property
Protection
• The first goal of the BC is the protection of human
life from the failure of life safety provisions in a
building, or from structural collapse.
• But, there is also a strong component of property
protection contained in code requirements.
• Sprinkler provisions can serve both purposes.
History & Precedents: The Future of Code Development
• The ICC code is a living document and subject to regular review and
comment cycles.
• A new code is published at regular intervals, usually every 3 years.
• The publication cycle gives measure of certainty for building designers
that the code will remain unchanged during the design‐and
construction process
History & Precedents: Performance Vs. Prescriptive Code
• There is now a new ICC International Performance Code, which represents regulations
based on desired outcomes rather than prescriptions.
• It encourages new design methods by allowing a broader parameter for meeting the intent
of the international codes.
• The ICC is developed to mitigate concerns by creating responses to problems that have
been identified. Example: guardrail height is prescribed to be 42” (1067mm)high, the
designer follows the requirement to avoid the problem the code has identified, that is
preventing falls over an edge higher than 30”(762mm). The code provides defined
solutions to an identified problem. Performance Codes give designers more freedom to
comply with the stated goals. They also require the designer to take on more responsibility
for knowing the consequences of their design actions.
History & Precedents: Events that Informed the Building Codes
Terminology: Building Codes
Building codes direct the construction requirements of an
entire building and place restrictions on hazardous materials
or equipment used within a building.
The principal purpose is to ensure the health, safety, and
welfare of the people using these buildings, so codes include
requirements affecting structural, mechanical, electrical,
plumbing, life safety (egress), fire safety (detection and
suppression), natural light and air, accessibility standards,
and energy conservation.
Terminology: Accessible
Unless otherwise noted, this term refers to areas, products, or devices usable by persons with
disabilities, as required by the codes, federal legislation such as the Americans with
Disabilities Act, and accessibility standards.
Terminology : Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ)
Used by the code organizations to indicate
organizations, offices, or individuals that administer
and enforce the codes. Here we designate these code
jurisdictions, code departments, and code officials,
respectively.
Dubai Municipality ‫( ﺑﻠﺩﻳﺔ ﺩﺑﻲ‬DM) is the municipal body
with jurisdiction over city services and the upkeep of
facilities in the Emirate of Dubai, UAE. It comes under
the Government of Dubai. It was established in 1954 by
the then Crown Prince of Dubai, Rashid bin Saeed Al
Maktoum. In 2001, the municipality embarked on an e‐
government project to provide 40 of its city services
online through its portal.
Terminology : Code Official
Also known as a building official; an employee of a codes department who has
the authority to interpret, administer, and enforce the codes, standards, and
regulations within that jurisdiction. A code official can have a number of different
titles, including plans examiner, building inspector, and, sometimes, fire marshal.
Also generally referred to as the AHJ by the codes.
Terminology : Codes Department
A local government agency that administers and enforces the codes within a
jurisdiction. Some small jurisdictions may have a codes department that consists
of only one person or code official, while some large jurisdictions may include
many different agencies and departments. Also generally referred to as the AHJ
by the codes.
Terminology: Jurisdiction
A determined geographical area that uses the same
codes, standards, and regulations. Each jurisdiction
passes a law specifying which codes and standards are
required and how they will be regulated. A jurisdiction
can be as small as a township or as large as an entire
state. The code jurisdiction of a project is determined
by the location of the building. Also generally referred
to as the AHJ by the codes.
Terminology: Performance Code
A code that is generally described and gives an objective but not specific
instructions on how to achieve it. The focus is on the desired outcome, not a
single solution, and compliance is based on meeting the criteria established
by the performance code.
Engineering tools and methodologies are often used to substantiate the use
of the code criteria.
Terminology: Prescriptive Code
A code providing a specific requirement that must be met for the design,
construction, and maintenance of a building. The focus is on a specific
solution to achieve an objective or outcome based on historical experience
and established engineering. Historically, codes in the United States have
been prescriptive in nature.
Timing: Getting Started
Before beginning a project, you need to know which codes, standards, and federal
publications must be referenced.
The local codes department can verify the publications that must be referenced and
notify you of any required local codes or amendments. They should also be able to
tell you if there are any state requirements you need to follow, and if there are any
green building programs in place.
Timing: Using Code in the Design Process
The best time to research codes is in the early
stages of a design project, preferably in the
programming phase while the designs are still
preliminary, before construction documents
are started and construction costs are
estimated.
Figure I.1 summarized how the various phases
in the traditional design process relate to the
typical steps taken during the code process.
Refer to this chart as you work on a project to
make sure you are covering the necessary
code steps.
https://youtu.be/monsJd4K‐9s
Fundamental: Minimum Requirements
Always remember that codes, standards, and federal regulations have been
developed as minimum requirements. There may be equivalent solutions, and
often superior alternatives and solutions are available. By working with your client,
the building requirements, and the budget for the project, you can make informed
design decisions. By using the creative thinking process and working with the code
officials and other professionals, the best design solutions can be developed.

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