NFPA CODE NEWS

California won't base code on International Building Code SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The California Building Standards Commission (CBSC) has voted not to use the International Building Code as part of its effort to update the California Building Standards Code. The Commission, which publishes a new edition of the California Building Standards Code every three years, plans to continue using the 1997 Uniform Building Code as the basis for the 2001 edition of the California Building Standards Code.

In addition to the rejection of the International Building Code, the Commission voted to use the 2000 edition of the Uniform Fire Code (UFC) developed by the Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA) and the 2000 editions of the Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC) and the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) developed by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) to address other safety issues. The Building Standards Commission had previously used the 1997 edition of the UFC, UMC and UPC. The National Electrical Code (NEC) continues to be the basis for the California Electrical Code. Both IAPMO and WFCA have joined with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to produce a full set of consensus codes for the built environment.