WOBO is pleased to report on ICC developments
How Building Codes inform architectural design
Building codes are essential to the safety of people and properties, but they are also critical to reducing long-term expenses.
The nationwide study Building Codes Save, conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), shows that the cost of property losses could be reduced by $132 billion by adopting and implementing both the International Building Code® (IBC) and the International Residential Code® (IRC).
While codes are often discussed at the inspection and enforcement level, their implementation begins long before a project breaks ground. In fact, codes are vital to every building from the very start.
Read more: iccsafe.org/building-safety-journal/bsj-dives/how-building-codes-inform-architectural-design
FEMA’s Updated Mitigation Policy Increases Its Support for Building Codes
On March 23, 2023, the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) released its 2023 Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program and Policy Guide (HMA Guide) as an updated comprehensive policy handbook to govern mitigation grant programs.
Since the publication of the 2015 HMA Guidance and HMA Guidance Addendum, many developments have impacted FEMA’s mitigation grant programs. This includes the passage of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018, the introduction of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program and increased funding and accessibility to mitigation programs through the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act of 2021. This also includes prioritization of new resiliency concepts to accelerate and advance mitigation investment, such as those outlined in the National Mitigation Investment Strategy and FEMA’s Building Codes Strategy.