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Building Code Documents
Browse our collection building code documents, which provide guidance on the hazard-resistant provisions in the building codes for property owners, engineers, design professionals, building codes officials, and the general public.
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The International Building Code, International Exiting Building Code, International Residential Code and International Code Council 500 can be purchased at the International Code Council.
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The American Society of Civil Engineers maintains ASCE 7, a referenced standard in the I-codes. ASCE 7-22 wind load provisions will be referenced in the 2024 International Building Code (IBC) and the 2024 International Residential Code (IRC). Buildings and structures within the scope of the IBC must be designed in accordance with ASCE 7 wind load provisions. The IRC provides prescriptive solutions and component and cladding wind load values based on ASCE 7 minimum loading requirements. This fact sheet highlights a few of the key significant changes to the wind loading design provisions contained in ASCE 7-22, as compared to the previous version (ASCE 7-16), that will affect building design.
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The International Code Council (ICC) 500-2014 is a referenced standard in the 2015 editions of the International Building Code, International Residential Code and FEMA P-361, Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes: Guidance for Community and Residential Safe Rooms, Third Edition. Buildings or spaces designated for use as a shelter from tornadoes and/or hurricanes within the scope of the International Building Code and International Residential Code must conform to the requirements in International Code Council 500. Highlights of International Code Council 500-2014 cover Administration and Oversight; Structural Design Criteria; Occupancy, Means of Egress, and Access; Fire Protection, Essential Features, and Accessories; and Test Methods. The highlights paper also covers significant changes made to the 2014 edition compared to the 2008 edition of the International Code Council 500.
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Foundation and Anchoring Criteria for Safe Rooms Fact Sheet (October 2015)
Prefabricated safe rooms are becoming more popular as people seek protection from tornadoes. Due to the extreme forces safe rooms may experience, there are very specific foundation and anchoring requirements that, if overlooked, can leave occupants at risk of injury or death during tornadoes. This fact sheet provides graphics and useful information about the foundation and anchoring criteria in FEMA P-361, Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes: Guidance for Community and Residential Safe Rooms, Third Edition, which uses ICC 500, Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters, as a referenced standard.
This instructional guidance is for design professionals and building officials to help them determine when a building or other structure is required to be designed to minimum tornado loads and how to calculate design tornado forces. This guide is in accordance with the updated requirements of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) / Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) standard ASCE 7-22, Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures.
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2021 Editions
These documents summarize the wind-resistant provisions of the 2021editions.
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2018 Editions
These documents summarize the wind-resistant provisions of the 2018 editions.
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2015 Editions
These documents summarize the wind-resistant provisions of the 2015 editions.