The State Building Code and Design Standards

Briefing

Presented by Gary Chock, S.E. August 24 2007 SEAOH Convention Technical Session

Building Code Status

The last time the four counties were in sync was in 1996, when they were at UBC 1991. Before that, the last time they were in sync was 1972-1974, when they were at UBC 1970
HONOLULU CITY & COUNTY MAUI KAUAI HAWAII

BUILDING

IBC 2003 with Amendments (effective 9-18-07)

UBC 1997 with Amendments 1986 Housing Code NEC 1999 with Amendments UPC 1991 with Amendments No Code Chapter 16.04 Fire Code (UFC 1988 with Amendments) Chapter 132 HRS

UBC 1997 with Amendments

UBC 1991 with Amendments

ELECTRIC

NEC 2002 UPC 1997 with Amendments No Code UFC 1997 with Amendments

NEC 1999 UPC 1997 No Code UFC 1997 with Amendments

NEC 1993 UPC 1991 No Code UFC 1988

PLUMBING

MECHANICAL

FIRE

Effective Building Codes By Year

HONOLULU CITY & COUNTY MAUI KAUAI HAWAII

2006

Building Code Edition Year

1997

1988

1979

1970

1961

1952
1952 1955 1958 1961 1964 1967 1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009

Calender Year

Examples of County Provisions affecting building design and construction that presently differ
Edition of the basic model building codes Administration, Fees, and Enforcement Construction Inspections Energy Code (sometimes not adopted) ADA (sometimes not included) Manufactured Homes Greenhouses Indigenous Architecture Renovations and Code Compliance Self Certification / Review Waiver Roofing Termites and Wood Treatments High-Rise Setbacks Fire Code Flood Regulations

Requirements and Standards authored or administered by Counties

Code / Standard
Building Fire Code of the County (need not comply with the State Fire Code) Plumbing Code Electrical County Energy Efficiency Requirements

Rules or Basis
HRS 46-1.5 (13) HRS 132-3,9,16 HAR 12-44, 12-45 State Fire Council creates a model code Uniform Plumbing Code by IAPMO NFPA 70 National Electrical Code Loosely based on DBEDT Model Energy Code Guidelines; no HAR No HRS or HAR ASCE 24 or FEMA minimum

Flood and Tsunami Inundation requirements vary widely by county No mechanical code

Governing Authorities
There is a wide diversity of state agencies with specialized authorities to establish building regulations and enforce them The state agencies generally are not mandated to keep standards up-to-date, except when indicated by federal regulations

Requirements and Standards authored or administered by others

State / Federal Agency
DLIR DOH EPA / DOH DOH DAGS / DCCA Insurance Commissioner

Code / Standard
Elevator and Escalators, Dumbwaiters, Rides, and Trains Outside Fresh Air requirements Private Sewage Disposal Toilets, Showers, Lavatories, Food Establishment Sanitation Hurricane Resistive Standards for Shelters and Essential Facilities

Rules
HAR 12-229 (2000) HAR 11-48 Ventilation HAR 11-62 Wastewater Systems HAR 11-11, 11-12 Public Hurricane Shelter Criteria (Act 5, 2005) and Act 82 (2007) HAR 12-8-10, Chapters 220-225 HAR 12-8 HAR 11-41, 11-501 HRS 196-A

DLIR HIOSH DLIR HIOSH DOH Administation Directive for State Buildings

Boilers and Pressure Vessels Window Washing Equipment Suppports Asbestos and Lead Paint Abatement LEED

State Building Code History

Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 17 of 2005 legislature requested taskforce convened and administered within DAGS Taskforce comprised of engineers, architects, contractors, insurance agents, realtors, representative for the fire chief, and all four county building officials
Submitted a unanimous report endorsing a statewide building code Provided detailed implementation recommendations to 2006 legislature

A state building code bill is killed in conference due to a political struggle between the House and Senate

State Building Code History

At least two versions of bills introduced in house and senate during the 2007 legislature Senate Bill 795 SD 2 HD1 CD1, principally authored by Senator L. Inouye and Representative B. Herkes, most closely following the original recommendations of the SCR 17 Taskforce, was passed and enrolled to governor Act 82 SLH 2007 signed 5/21/07 into law by the governor The law is HRS Chapter 107, Part II, State Building Code and Design Standards

DAGS State Building Code Committee 12/2006-5/2007

DAGS established a committee tasked to investigate and provide a starting point for the SBCC with a matrix of current codes used and their last revision, the agency responsible, and the version of codes that are recommended to be adopted into a state building code Identified the charging source of the authority: sections of the Hawaii Revised Statues or Hawaii Administrative Rules Comprised of
Comptroller SEAOH AIA State Fire Council Department of Defense Department of Health Department of Labor and Industrial Relations DAGS Public Works Division Department of Business and Economic Development

DAGS State Building Code Committee 12/2006-5/2007

The committee also obtained supplemental background information on
Scope Model code or standard on which a state or county code was based Steps needed to bring a code into compliance with its modern basis standard Coordination and modernization needs

Act 82 Features
The purpose of the act is to require the department of accounting and general services to establish and implement a state building code Creates a state building code council with decision making authority Funds executive director and assistant Preserves responsibilities for administration, permitting, enforcement and inspection as presently held by each county Prohibits conflict with chapter 464, HRS, Professional Engineers, Architects, Surveyors and Landscape Architects Permits county amendments without state building code council approval

Codes Specified By Act 82

State Fire Code Uniform Plumbing Code International Building Code Hurricane resistant design standards applicable to emergency shelters and essential government facilities

Additional Codes To Be Adopted

Act 82 stipulated that the state building code shall include but does not limit codes to: Residential and hurricane resistive standards for residential construction Elevator Electrical Mechanical Flood and tsunami Existing buildings Energy conservation for buildings Onsite sewage disposal

Additional Codes That May Be Adopted

Other codes that are currently used or needed by new laws affecting buildings that could be considered for formal update and adoption by the SBCC: Boiler and pressure vessels Toilet, food establishment, sanitation Residential safe room design standards for hurricane protection LEED/green building standards

State Building Code Council

Attached to DAGS Nine voting members, one non-voting member Chairman and Vice Chairman elected annually by members Appoints executive director and executive assistant Forms technical committees Consults with general building contractor associations, and building trade associations Adopts state model building codes May adopt state code amendments if there is a unanimous consensus of the four county building officials Shall provide education and technical training in the state building code Files an annual report to the state legislature

Kauai County Building Official Maui County Building Official Hawaii County Building Official State Fire Council Member Department of Health Department of Labor & Industrial Relations Structural Engineers Association of Hawaii AIA Hawaii Chapter State Comptroller (Non-Voting)

Douglas Haigh Ralph Nagamine Brian Kajikawa Lloyd Rogers Harold Yee Keith Rudolph Gary Chock (Vice Chair) Bill Brizee Russ Saito

City & County of Honolulu Building Official Tim Hiu (Chair)

SBCC Code Implementation

New state building code to be adopted within 18 months of new national/international model building code The state building code may include state amendments State building design to be in compliance with state building code within one year State building design is allowed to be exempt from
County codes that have not adopted the state building code County amendments that are inconsistent with the minimum performance objectives of the state building code County amendments that are contrary to amendments adopted by another county

SBCC Code Implementation

Counties may amend/adopt within two years without seeking approval of the state
If they do not, the state building code shall become applicable to county as an interim building code until the county amends/adopts state model building code

Counties can create exemptions allowing the exercise of indigenous Hawaiian architecture

Questions?
gchock@martinchock.com 808-521-4513