Building Codes Illustrated: A Guide to Understanding the 2012 International Building Code - Softcover

Five Trends in the 2012 International Building Code covered in the 4th Edition of Building Codes Illustrated by Steven R Winkel

The new 4th edition of Building Codes Illustrated is aimed at two audiences. The first is students and emerging professionals who are just learning to use the building code. The second audience is more experienced practitioners looking to validate their interpretations of code sections and to familiarize themselves with changes made in the new 2012 International Building Code. The new 4th edition of Building Codes Illustrated uses graphics, the language of designers, to elaborate on the book’s text to clarify code intent and requirements for code users. Below are trends I noticed while revising the 4th Edition text to accompany the wonderful illustrations of Francis D.K. Ching. These are just a few examples of the many changes to be found in the new code.

1. One trend in code revisions today is to make changes to “clarify” the code. These changes often involve not only rewording sections, but reorganizing the order of various sections. Section number changes make it very hard to find items based on remembering section numbers from old codes. In my code consulting practice I advise designers to never do code work from memory. While the code text indicates in the margins where sections have been deleted, it gives no guidance about whether the section has just been moved, or wholly deleted. This book gives guidance for such changes.
2. Outpatient medical care occurs increasingly in facilities not located in traditional health-care centers. It is becoming common to find outpatient surgical procedures happening in tenant spaces. New requirements in Section 422 address fire separations of these medical spaces from adjacent tenants where the patients may be rendered unconscious or unable to move readily in an emergency. Examples of facilities that could be covered by these provisions are laser vision clinics and kidney dialysis treatment centers.
3. The code requirements for fire protection of overhangs located close to a property line have always been confusing. There are revised code provisions for how to measure and protect overhangs that are accompanied by new illustrations in our book.
4. Open “exit” stairs were relocated in the Mean of Egress Chapter, IBC Chapter 10, from the Exit section in Section 1022 to be “exit access stairs” in Section 1016 in the 2009 International Building Code, as illustrated in the 3rd Edition of our book. This revision was revised yet again in the 2012 code into requirements for open and enclosed stairs in Section 1009, as illustrated in the 4th Edition.
5. Guard rail heights in R-3 occupancies and inside R-2 occupancies have been reduced in an Exception to Section 1013.3 to 36 inches from the 42 inch height previously required. This aligns the IBC with the International Residential Code requirements for one and two family dwellings.

There are numerous other changes described and illustrated in the new 4th edition of Building Codes Illustrated.

The easy-to-use, illustrated guide to the 2012 edition of the International Building Code®

The Fourth Edition of this practical, user-friendly guide is fully updated and revised to reflect the 2012 International Building Code® (IBC). Marrying the graphic skills of bestselling author Francis D.K. Ching with the code expertise of Steven R. Winkel, Building Codes Illustrated, Fourth Edition features nearly 900 illustrations and easy-to-understand explanations of the portions of the building code that are most relevant for designers.

Organized to correspond with the 2012 IBC, this edition allows readers to quickly navigate and access the latest codes for all types of construction, occupancy, usage, and modifications. It highlights the major changes between the current and previous building codes, helping architects understand how the introduction of the new 2012 IBC is going to affect their practice. Clear, precise interpretation of the fundamentals helps ensure that projects are up to code and free of costly mistakes.

Praise for the 2009 edition:

"Building Codes Illustrated is an accessible and trusted interpretive guide to the 2009 International Building Code® for architects, builders, engineers, and interior designers. In a visual format created expressly for design-minded readers, this handy reference helps professionals understand how the code can be applied to a building."

—Concrete International