flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Undisclosed ICC agreement with NAHB alleged to thwart more stringent efficiency codes

Codes and Standards

Undisclosed ICC agreement with NAHB alleged to thwart more stringent efficiency codes

Homebuilders’ seats on ICC made it easier to block new provisions, report alleges.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | November 6, 2019

Courtesy Pixabay

The International Code Council made an unpublicized deal with the National Association of Home Builders that has effectively blocked efforts to boost energy efficiency and structure resiliency in the ICC’s code development, according to a report in the New York Times.

The previously undisclosed written agreement guarantees NAHB representatives four of the 11 voting seats—enough to stymie certain new code provisions—on two committees that approve building code revisions, according to critics. This pact has helped enable the trade group to prevent changes that would have made new houses in much of the country more energy-efficient or more resilient to floods, hurricanes, and other disasters, the Times report says.

Before NAHB members gained seats on the energy committee, the energy efficiency of those building codes increased 32% over six years. After the homebuilders’ industry’s influence expanded, that number was less than 3% over the same amount of time, the Times report says.

NAHB officials say that the agreement is appropriate, given that its members are most impacted by the codes. Critics charge that the arrangement has thwarted important code provisions such as mandates for tougher foundations in flood-prone areas and measures to ensure that roofs were less likely to blow off during hurricanes.

Related Stories

Codes and Standards | Jan 14, 2020

L.A.’s expedited permitting process credited with faster approvals on $1 billion project

Parallel Design-Permitting Process includes flagging elements for correction during conceptual design.

Codes and Standards | Jan 13, 2020

Kansas City is first in nation to offer free public transportation

Aim is to increase mobility to spur more economic activity.

Codes and Standards | Jan 9, 2020

Dept. of Defense will require beefed up cybersecurity standards in January

All contractors will have to demonstrate secure practices.

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.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Sustainability

Grimshaw launches free online tool to help accelerate decarbonization of buildings

Minoro, an online platform to help accelerate the decarbonization of buildings, was recently launched by architecture firm Grimshaw, in collaboration with more than 20 supporting organizations including World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), RIBA, Architecture 2030, the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and several national Green Building Councils from across the globe.




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