Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Planning & Development Services

TO:	David L. Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	Barry Walthall, Building Inspections Manager
C:	Scott McCullough, Planning & Development Services Director Mark Bradford, Fire Chief
DATE:	September 19, 2012
RE:	Status Update: Review of 2012 International Model Building Codes

Since early spring staff has been working with advisory boards on review of the 2012 International Code Council (ICC) model building codes for possible adoption by the City.  A listing of advisory Boards involved with reviewing these codes and the codes for which they are responsible is included at the end of this memo.  Staff anticipates reviews will be complete and ordinances drafted for City Commission consideration in the last quarter of 2012 for a recommended effective date in the first quarter of 2013, ideally January 1.

The City currently reviews building permit applications under the 2009 set of ICC model building codes, which became effective on January 1, 2011.  ICC updates these codes on a three-year cycle and the city strives to update the codes on the same cycle.  Timely adoption of the most current building codes has been identified by consultants in the past as an improvement of the City’s development process, and by the Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO) as an important factor in the evaluation of the community’s ISO Building Code Effectiveness Grading Classification (BCEG).  The City’s current BCEG classifications are 4 for one- and two-family residential construction, and 3 for all other construction.  According to the ISO website, only 16% of building departments achieve classification ratings of 3 or better, and 67% are rated between 4 and 6.  Ratings are assigned on a scale of one to ten, with one being best.

The public may provide input concerning the 2012 codes during the advisory board review period as well as directly to the City Commission when draft ordinances are brought forward for consideration.   Staff informs known stakeholders of the review process and solicits input through the advisory boards review process.  The building community has been kept informed through newsletters published by the Lawrence Home Builders Association that have included updates about significant issues.  The building community is also heavily represented on the advisory boards, the membership of which includes builders; mechanical, electrical, and plumbing contractors and trades workers; architects and engineers.

Significant issues concerning adoption of the 2012 codes that the advisory boards are reviewing primarily include energy conservation improvements in the International Residential Code:

• The energy conservation ratings of walls, ceilings, attics, doors and windows are all increased.  To achieve the increased rating for exterior walls, from R13 to R19, walls will either have to be constructed with 2x6 framing to accommodate thicker insulation, or one-inch foam board will have to be added to 2x4 framed walls.

• All newly constructed one- and two-family dwellings would be required to be tested for leakage with a blower door test.  Under the current code, testing is required when any portion of the heating and cooling system is outside the building envelope.  For instance, houses with ductwork in the attic or furnaces in the garage are required to be tested.

• Air leakage testing maximums would be reduced by 33% to 50% depending on whether the test is performed at rough-in or post-construction.

The Building Code Board is also debating whether to recommend elimination of a current local amendment allowing for a “Rough-in Sub-slab Depressurization System” as an option for addressing radon gas.  With the current amendment, builders may select between three methods for radon control:

· Sub-slab Depressurization System (Passive System).  A system designed to achieve lower sub-slab air pressure relative to indoor air pressure by use of a vent pipe routed through the conditioned space of a building and connecting the sub-slab area with outdoor air, thereby relying on the convective flow of air upward in the vent to draw air from beneath the slab.

· Sub-slab Depressurization System (Active System).  A system designed to achieve lower sub-slab air pressure relative to indoor air pressure by use of a fan-powered vent drawing air from beneath the slab.

o This is a passive system as defined in item 1 that also incorporates a vent fan to draw air from beneath the slab and exhausted through a vent pipe to the outside air.

· Rough-in Sub-slab Depressurization System (Rough-in System).  A system complying with section AF(Appendix F) 103.2, AF103.3, AF103.5, AF103.6, AF103.7, AF103.8, AF103.9.1, AF103.10 and AF103.11.

o This is a hybrid system created by local amendment that incorporates most of the elements of a passive system as defined in item 1, but eliminates the passive system requirements to seal potential radon entry routes through the concrete slab and provide a power source for possible future installation of exhaust fans or system failure alarms.  Potential radon entry routes include floor openings around bathtubs, water closets, pipes, wires or other objects that penetrate concrete slabs; concrete joints; sump pits; and other elements that may permit radon gas to transmit from the sub-grade up into the structure.

The amendment allowing the rough-in system was brought into the City Code with adoption of the 2006 cycle of ICC building codes, which became effective on January 1, 2008.  The Building Code Board first recommended adoption of the radon control provisions because of empirical data indicating that the City of Lawrence is within an area of high radon potential.  The intent of the amendment was to require that a radon control system be “roughed in” as new houses are constructed so that if future testing found that radon gas was entering the structure a system would already be substantially in place for abatement.  In that circumstance, the system can be converted to a passive or active system by sealing all concrete slab penetrations and installing an exhaust fan with minimal additional expense or effort.  Some disturbance of finished construction may be necessary to seal openings around bathtubs or showers, or seal concrete joints concealed by finish work such as carpet or baseboards.  The rough-in system also provides some measure of radon control.  The current debate is whether the work to seal openings and joints in concrete should reasonably be performed during initial construction, and if full radon control should be provided for the safety of the occupants.

Advisory Boards Reviewing 2012 International Codes

• Building Code Board of Appeals
• 2012 International Building Code (IBC)
• 2012 International Residential Code (IRC) – chapters 1-11
• 2012 International Existing Building Code (IEBC)
• 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)
• 2012 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC)

• Electrical Code Board of Appeals
• 2012 IRC – chapters 34-43
• 2011 National Electrical Code (NEC)

• Fire Code Board of Appeals
• 2012 International Fire Code (IFC)

• Plumbing Code Board of Appeals
• 2012 International Plumbing Code (IPC)
• 2012 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC)
• 2012 IRC – chapters 24-33

• Mechanical Code Board of Appeals
• 2012 International Mechanical Code (IMC)
• 2012 IFGC
• 2012 IRC – chapters 12-24