PCA Statement Regarding the AISC’s Campaign Reacting to PCA’s
High Performance Building Requirements for Sustainability
The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) has recently launched a series of advertisements addressing the compilation of code changes for High Performance Building Requirements for Sustainability developed by PCA. In the form of an open letter to PCA, the ads call into question PCA’s approach of offering the recommendations for direct adoption by local jurisdictions in addition to working through the International Building Code.
Offering code changes directly to local governments is not unusual in the United States and can be an integral part of the building code development process. The PCA recommendations are offered as modifications to the International Code Council International Building Code (IBC) and can be considered for adoption, implementation, and enforcement by state and local jurisdictions. State and local adoption of more stringent code requirements that would not be advanced through the national model code development process is a common practice. For example, most fire sprinkler requirements appeared in many local and state codes before they appeared in model codes.
PCA’s recommendations are consistent with this standard practice.. Since an approved national model building code dealing with high performance or sustainability does not presently exist, state and local jurisdictions are adopting their own codes addressing these issues. PCA is fostering this forward-thinking practice by providing language that might be useful in further development and advancement of more comprehensive green or sustainable building code requirements.
PCA has always encouraged state and local modifications to model building codes so that the building design and construction requirements within any specific jurisdiction are not simply the minimum life safety code, but also address the social and economic needs as well as local resources, topography, geology, disaster mitigation, and climate condition of the jurisdiction. Because of PCA’s strong belief that building requirements should be more than minimum life safety we will continue to support this approach for jurisdictions.
Click here for more information and to download the High
Performance Building Requirements for Sustainability, Version
1.5
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