October 21, 2003—The recent 2003 inaugural conference of the International Code Council was the first meeting of the ICC as a single organization. The first code development changes, directly resulting from 9/11 and the Rhode Island nightclub fire, moved closer to becoming code requirements.
Among code changes proposed during the conference, two significant changes are related to 9/11 and the Rhode Island nightclub fire. In response to concerns about the fire-resistance rating of structural elements in high-rise buildings, ICC members approved a revision to the International Building Code that will require the structural system to be three-hour fire-resistance rated instead of the current two-hour requirement. This change could allow time for more people to escape or be rescued from a burning high-rise building.
The Rhode Island nightclub fire resulted in a code change that tightens the threshold for sprinklers. The International Fire Code Committee voted unanimously to require nightclubs, restaurants, banquet halls and similar facilities to have sprinklers if occupancy is more than 100 people. The previous occupancy for required sprinklers was 300.
Those and other code change proposals will be on the agenda in May when ICC holds its final code development hearings for the 2006 I-Codes. For more information on code development, visit the ICC.
