This is a locally or state adopted ordinance or regulation that can be enforceable by police powers under the concept of health, safety and welfare, which controls the design, construction alteration, repair, quality of materials used and occupancy and related factors of any building or structure within the state’s jurisdiction. It is an ordinance specifying minimum standards of construction of buildings for the protection of public safety and health. The building code sets requirements that protect the public health, safety and general welfare as they related to the construction and occupancy of building structures. It considers exits, fire protection, structural design, sanitary facilities, light and ventilation. The building codes are usually made by the government and enacted by the town planning authority. They are the authority enacted by the government to enforce the ordinance and see that the codes are obeyed. Codes are intended as minimum design and construction requirements to assure liveability safety, protection, general welfare of the public, and safety to fire fighters and emergency respondents.
Other definitions of Building codes on the Web are:
- Municipal ordinances that regulate the construction and occupancy of buildings for safety or health reasons – env.state.ma.us/content/glossary.asp
- Safety and fire codes adopted by municipal bodies for the purpose of establishing minimum construction criteria for buildings – www.academyrealestate.com/glossary.htm
- Regulations, ordinances or statutory requirements of a government unit relating to building construction and occupancy generally adopted and administered for the protection of public health, safety, and welfare – housingzone.com/topics/aia/design/aia01ha002.asp
- Rules and regulations of governmental bodies defining standards that construction in that jurisdiction must meet – federated.ca/gloss/b.htm
- State and local laws that regulate the construction of new property and the rehabilitation of existing property – soldonsusan.com/BGChapter4.htm
- Ordinances that specify minimum construction standards. These ordinances are enforced for the protection of public safety and health. return to top – suttonandedwards.com/tools/reglossary.html
Building codes can be classified into two; they are:
- Specification code: this codes deals with detail description of what materials are to be used in the construction of a building, the size of each unit, the spacing of the units and the methods of assembly.
- Performance code: This type of code prescribes the objective to be accomplished and allow broad leeway to the designers in selecting materials and methods that will achieve the required results.
The main purpose of the building codes is to protect public health, safety and general welfare as they relate to the construction and occupancy of buildings and structures. The building code becomes law of a particular jurisdiction when formally enacted by the appropriate authority. They are generally intended to be applied by Architects and Builders, but are also used for various purposes by Safety Inspectors, Real Estate Developers, Contractors and Subcontractors, Manufacturers of building materials, Insurance Companies, Facility Managers, tenants, and other categories of users.
The nature and specific purpose of the code is that it defines:
- Type of occupancy
- Type of construction
- Fire resistance rating of the structure and construction
- Allowable height and floor area of the building.
- Separation from neighbouring buildings
- Technical, administrative and legal framework of health and safety
- Level of protection of the health and safety of workers in the working environment
- Proper people’s attitudes
The requirements generally apply to the construction of new buildings, alterations or addition to existing buildings, changes in the use of buildings and the demolition of buildings or portions of buildings at the end of their useful or economic lives. Building codes become effective when the property owners volunteer to erect, alter, add to, or demolish a building in a jurisdiction where a building code applies; or when enforcement measures makes compliance inevitable.
There are often additional codes or sections of the same building code that have more specific requirements that apply to dwellings and special constructions, such as canopies, signs, pedestrians, walking, parking lots, radio and television antennas etc. a code is not mandatory until enacted by the state or local legislation or regulation
Existing buildings are not, exempted from the requirements, especially those considered essential to achieve health, safety or the general welfare objective.
Building codes generally include:
- Structural safety: Buildings should be strong enough to resist internally and externally applied forces without collapsing;
- Fire safety: Includes requirements to prevent fire spread to/from neighbours, provided warning of occupants, and safe exiting from buildings, limitation on fire spread, and provisions for fire suppression or fire fighting ;
- Health requirements: Adequate washrooms, adequate air circulation and plumbing materials
- Some buildings codes: sometimes include requirements for:
- Noise Mitigation: to protect building occupants from noise pollution
- Accessibility: Requirements to ensure that a building is accessible for persons in wheel chairs or having other disabilities
- Specification on components.
- Allowable installation methodologies.
- Minimum and maximum room and exit size and location.
- Marking of high structure, which could become an obstacle to aircraft.
Any high structure can be an obstacle for aircraft, and must therefore often be marked.
Reference
Fao.org Chapter 8: Elements of construction. http://www.fao.org/docrep/015/i2433e/i2433e05.pdf
