About Building Codes & Standards
Most building construction in the U.S.
is influenced by state and local building codes. These
codes are intended as minimum design and construction requirements
to assure life safety, property protection, general welfare
of the public, and safety to firefighters and emergency responders.
Most states and local jurisdictions adopt
a building code based on a national model. PCA's involvement
in code development is focused on the provisions contained
in national model building codes and referenced standards.
National Model Codes Development
Today very few state or local jurisdictions
have the resources to develop a complete building code on
their own. States and local jurisdictions tend to base their
code on national model building codes and modify, or amend,
these models as necessary to address the needs of the jurisdiction.
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National Guide Development
The standardization process for new technologies
and methods usually starts in the form of research, which leads
to papers on the topics and then to the development of guides.
The guides are used by specific industry interests to assist
in gaining code acceptance for new products and applications,
typically through a third party evaluation service. More.
National Reference Standards Development
Due to lack of sufficient time and resources
in the model building code process, design and construction
provisions for many materials, components and systems are
developed by voluntary industry or societal consensus organizations
or processes. These standards are then referenced in the building
codes. More.
State and Local Code Development
The national model codes may be adopted
by state and local jurisdictions with or without modifications
or amendments, depending on their needs. The building code
enacted or adopted via a legislative and/or regulatory process
at the state or local level becomes the minimum legal
requirements to which buildings are designed and constructed.
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Fire Safety in Multi-Family Buildings
An area of primary concern since the passive
fire protection requirements in the national model building
codes have been drastically relaxed due to fire sprinkler
trade-offs. More.
Technical Support
PCA Codes and Standards staff provides
support for regional, state, and local cement-based product
associations working with an AHJ (authority having jurisdiction)
to assure that any modifications impacting the use of cement-based
products adequately reflect the needs of the local constituents.
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