History of Building Codes

Building Codes date back to approximately 1772 BC, when the Babylonian emperor, Hammurabi, enacted the Code of Hammurabi. Incidentally, here are those codes – or laws – that pertain to construction:

• 228 – If a builder builds a house for someone and completes it, he shall give him a fee of two shekels in money for each sar (approximately 36 m² or 388 ft²) of surface.
• 229 – If a builder builds a house for someone, and does not construct it properly, and the house falls in and kills its owner, then that builder shall be put to death.
• 230 – If it kills the son of the owner, the son of that builder shall be put to death.
• 231 – If it kills a slave of the owner, then he shall pay, slave for slave, to the owner of the house.
• 232 – If it ruins goods, he shall make compensation for those goods, and inasmuch as he did not construct properly this house which he built and it fell, he shall re-erect the house from his own means.
• 233 – If a builder builds a house for someone, even though it is not yet complete; if then the walls seem toppling, the builder must make the walls solid from his own means.

Steps in Unifying the Codes

In the early 1700’s AD, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson pushed for the development of Building Codes to provide minimum building standards for the health and safety of citizens. Then, in the early 1900’s, Insurance Companies, in an effort to reduce property loss claims from improper construction, lobbied for further development of codes.

The Building Officials and Code Administration (BOCA) was established in 1915 and developed the BOCA National Building Code (BOCA/NBC). Primarily, this code was used and enforced in the Northeastern United States. The International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO), established in 1927, developed the Uniform Building Code (UBC), primarily used in the Midwest and Western United States. Finally, in 1940, the Southern Building Code Congress International (SBCCI) was established, and it developed the Standard Building Code (SBC), which was primarily used in the Southern United States.

Where are the Codes Today

In 1994, representatives from BOCA, ICBO, and SBCCI began the process of developing a comprehensive code to use nationally. The First Edition of the IBC (from 1997), updates every three years.

The current International Code Council codes are:

• Building Codes
  • International Building Code
  • International Existing Building Code
  • International Green Construction Code
  • International Zoning Code

• Mechanical/HVAC Codes
  • International Mechanical Code
  • International Energy Conservation Code

• Plumbing Building Codes
  • International Plumbing Code
  • International Private Sewage Disposal Code
  • International Fuel Gas Code

• Fire Building Codes
  • International Fire Code

• Residential Building Codes
  • International Residential Code

• Other Codes
  • ICC Performance Code for Buildings and Facilities
  • International Property Maintenance Code
  • International Swimming Pool and Spa Code
  • International Wildland Urban Interface Code

Additionally, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) publishes a number of Codes and Standards including:

• • National Electrical Code^® – NFPA 70

• • Health Care Facilities Code – NFPA 99

• • Life Safety Code^® – NFPA 101

• • Building Construction and Safety Code – NFPA 5000

Building Codes

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