A new National Institute of Building Sciences study on hazard mitigation found that updated building codes produce significant benefits.
The NIBS report found that adopting the 2018 International Codes (I-Codes) generates a national benefit of $11 for every $1 invested and saves lives. The I-Codes are the most widely used and adopted set of building safety codes worldwide.
The national mitigation benefit-cost ratio associated with code adoption is $6 to $1 for floods, $10 to $1 for hurricanes, and $12 to $1 for earthquakes. The quantified benefits are the result of avoided injuries and deaths, reduced post-traumatic stress, lower property damage, fewer business interruptions, and reduced insurance premiums.
Communities that consistently meet the latest editions of the I-Codes have added 30,000 new jobs to the construction-materials industry. The NIBS report also found that adoption of the 2015 International Wildland Urban Interface Code provided a $4 to $1 mitigation benefit against wildfire risk.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Jan 8, 2020
2019 Oregon Zero Energy Ready commercial code will boost efficiency by 14%
ASHRAE 90.1 is the basis for new code that went into effect Oct. 1.
Codes and Standards | Jan 8, 2020
Energy efficiency initiatives have significantly cut energy consumption per square foot
Lighting and space heating fell by more than 600 trillion Btu from 2003 to 2012.
Building Technology | Jan 7, 2020
Tariff whiplash for bifacial solar modules
Bifacial solar systems offer many advantages over traditional systems.
Codes and Standards | Jan 7, 2020
New certification program for rigid core luxury vinyl tile
ASSURE CERTIFIED to establish industry-wide quality standards.
Codes and Standards | Jan 7, 2020
Boston’s beefed up wetlands ordinance will limit development
Conservation commission must consider future climate impacts when assessing new projects.
Codes and Standards | Jan 6, 2020
States pick up the slack in efficiency policy as federal government lags
With climate change deniers setting policy in Trump Administration, progress continues in statehouses.
Codes and Standards | Jan 6, 2020
OSHA plans multiple revisions to rules impacting construction industry in 2020
Cranes and derricks, welding in confined spaces, beryllium exposure, and more on docket.
Codes and Standards | Jan 3, 2020
Labor supply and capability of workers worry contractors
Three out of four firms plan to add workers in 2020.
Codes and Standards | Jan 3, 2020
Car-free streets could become common in major cities
New York and San Francisco establish thoroughfares dedicated to transit, pedestrians.
Codes and Standards | Jan 2, 2020
CRE professionals have increased interest in embodied carbon accounting, smart buildings
Survey also shows that interest in resiliency lags behind.