flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Austin, Texas, adopts AI-driven building permit software

Codes and Standards

Austin, Texas, adopts AI-driven building permit software

Successful pilot program shows system understands zoning regulations


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | October 17, 2024
Austin, Texas, adopts AI-driven building permit software, Image by Kate Baucherel from Pixabay

Image by Kate Baucherel from Pixabay

After a successful pilot program, Austin has adopted AI-driven building permit software to speed up the building permitting process.

The city tested Archistar’s AI eCheck system that allows applicants to submit designs for a pre-check assessment. The software accurately understood the zoning code and implemented regulations accordingly during reviews of residential projects.

The system will not be used to review every element of building plans, but it will decrease the amount of data that permitting personnel need to scrutinize. Initially, the system will be limited to single-family residential properties, but the city plans to expand its use to other building types. Using this software, city reviewers can focus on unique aspects of an application and spend more time on customer service.

The city is pursuing a second pilot program with Archistar in partnership with the International Code Council (ICC) that is focused on automating compliance review of the International Building Code.

Related Stories

Codes and Standards | Oct 10, 2023

Green Seal will not certify any paints, coatings, floor care products containing PFAS

Green Seal will no longer certify any paints and coatings, floor care products, adhesives, and degreasers containing any per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly called “forever chemicals.”

Codes and Standards | Oct 4, 2023

Local officials press California governor for statewide all-electric building mandate

More than two dozen local government officials in California recently signed a letter urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to back a statewide all-electric mandate for all new building construction. This action is needed, the officials say, after a U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling this year nullified the city of Berkeley’s ban on natural gas hookups on new buildings. 

Regulations | Oct 4, 2023

New York adopts emissions limits on concrete

New York State recently adopted emissions limits on concrete used for state-funded public building and transportation projects. It is the first state initiative in the U.S. to enact concrete emissions limits on projects undertaken by all agencies, according to a press release from the governor’s office.

Architects | Oct 4, 2023

Architects and contractors underestimate cyberattack risk

Design and construction industry firms underestimate their vulnerability to cyberattacks, according to a new report, Data Resilience in Design and Construction: How Digital Discipline Builds Stronger Firms by Dodge Construction Network and content security and management company Egnyte.

Standards | Sep 25, 2023

Updated specification for PVC exterior profiles on windows, doors, and skylights

The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) updated a specification establishing minimum requirements for Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) exterior profiles that are used in windows, doors, and skylights.

Resiliency | Sep 25, 2023

National Institute of Building Sciences, Fannie Mae release roadmap for resilience

The National Institute of Building Sciences and Fannie Mae have released the Resilience Incentivization Roadmap 2.0. The document is intended to guide mitigation investment to prepare for and respond to natural disasters.

Codes and Standards | Sep 25, 2023

Lendlease launches new protocol for Scope 3 carbon reduction

Lendlease unveiled a new protocol to monitor, measure, and disclose Scope 3 carbon emissions and called on built environment industry leaders to tackle this challenge.

Codes and Standards | Sep 25, 2023

Modern codes, construction techniques saved structures in Maui wildfire

Modern building codes and construction techniques were effective in saving buildings from the devastating wildfire in Maui on August 9th, according to a recent report, IBHS Early Insights Lahaina Fire—2023, from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety’s research division.

Mass Timber | Sep 19, 2023

Five Things Construction Specialties Learned from Shaking a 10-Story Building

Construction Specialties (CS) is the only manufacturer in the market that can claim its modular stair system can withstand 100 earthquakes. Thanks to extensive practical testing conducted this spring at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) on the tallest building ever to be seismically tested, CS has identified five significant insights that will impact all future research and development in stair solutions.

Data Centers | Sep 15, 2023

Power constraints are restricting data center market growth

There is record global demand for new data centers, but availability of power is hampering market growth. That’s one of the key findings from a new CBRE report: Global Data Center Trends 2023.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Resiliency

U.S. is reducing floodplain development in most areas

The perception that the U.S. has not been able to curb development in flood-prone areas is mostly inaccurate, according to new research from climate adaptation experts. A national survey of floodplain development between 2001 and 2019 found that fewer structures were built in floodplains than might be expected if cities were building at random.




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021