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National Building Code advisory publications: making Part 9 work for you
Bullis, R.
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National Building Code advisory publications: making Part 9 work for you
Bullis, R.
A version of this paper is published in / Une version de ce document se trouve dans :
Solplan Review, no. 100, Sept. 2001, p. 17
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NATIONAL BUILDING CODE ADVISORY PUBLICATIONS:
Making Part 9 Work for You
By Robert Bullis
Just as not all buildings are alike, neither are the building codes pertaining to them, and sifting through the National Building Code (NBC) for the right information can sometimes be challenging. But for the designers, builders and building officials who use the NBC’s Part 9 (Housing and Small Buildings that are three storeys or less in height and 600 square metres or less in area), there is an easier way to navigate the requirements.
CREATING SOLUTIONS
When the first editions of the NBC were published, the writers assumed that users were trained in many aspects of building science and engineering. For architects and engineers, this worked well. But for those who wanted to build simple buildings that didn’t require a high degree of architectural or engineering input, some aids were seen as necessary. In due course, the National Research Council, through its code committee structure, joined with the Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation (now the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation – CMHC) to produce what they called Part 9 – essentially a “mini-code” intended for use by small contractors who build houses and small buildings, but who don’t necessarily need to hire an architect or engineer.
The creation of Part 9 was an important and widely accepted development. However, code users requested more improvements to make code use even easier. In response, a series of three advisory documents were developed to both clarify and simplify Part 9: the National
Housing Code of Canada 1998 and Illustrated Guide; the User’s Guide – NBC 1995 Housing and Small Buildings (Part 9); and the User’s Guide – NBC 1995, Application of Part 9 to Existing Buildings.
NATIONAL HOUSING CODE OF CANADA 1998 AND ILLUSTRATED GUIDE The National Housing Code of Canada and Illustrated Guide extracts the elements of Part 9 that relate only to detached, semi-detached, and row houses that do not share egress or service spaces, and do not have one dwelling unit above another. Intended to assist those involved in building houses, including contractors, tradespeople, and inspectors, the first part of the publication lists the requirements, and the second part (following the same order as the first) provides advice on how to meet those requirements. As well, illustrations appear throughout the document.
USER’S GUIDE – NBC 1995 HOUSING AND SMALL BUILDINGS (PART 9) Of particular interest to designers and building officials, this User’s Guide to Part 9 addresses requirements for all buildings covered under Part 9: buildings three storeys high or less; a building area not more than 600 square metres; and containing only residences, business and personal services, commercial, or medium- to low-hazard industrial occupants.
This guide is also well illustrated, but focuses more on understanding the principles behind code requirements.
The third publication looks at the challenges of applying Part 9 to the wide variety of conditions encountered during renovations of houses and small buildings. Of great value to renovators, inspectors and building officials, this guide is particularly useful when read in conjunction with the other Part 9 guides.
The first chapter discusses the principles that need to be followed in the regulation of existing buildings. This concentration on principles, rather than the actual “letter of the law” where requirements are concerned, allows users to focus on the primary objective of the NBC:
protecting lives.
Chapter two of the guide presents 50 typical scenarios that code users might face during building renovations, or when the occupancy of a building changes. An appendix supports the first chapter with a collection of the intentions behind the nearly 1,000 requirements that make up the whole of Part 9.
COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE
The three advisory documents provide users with a comprehensive coverage of the scope and application of Part 9. Apart, each has an entirely different focus and application, and each responds to specific user needs, whether homebuilder, contractor, designer or building official. Choosing the right one will depend on the job at hand.
For further information regarding the Part 9 advisory publications, contact John Archer at 613-993-5569, fax 613-952-4040, email john.archer@nrc.ca. To order any of the publications, call Publication Sales at NRC’s Institute for Research in Construction at 1-800-672-7990 (in the Ottawa-Gatineau area or the U.S., call 1-613-993-2463).
_______________________
Robert Bullis is an Ottawa freelance writer. This article was commissioned by NRC’s Institute for Research in Construction.
