Publisher’s version / Version de l'éditeur:
Journal of the Ontario Building Officials Association, March 61, p. 26, 2004-03-01
READ THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THIS WEBSITE.
https://nrc-publications.canada.ca/eng/copyright
Vous avez des questions? Nous pouvons vous aider. Pour communiquer directement avec un auteur, consultez la première page de la revue dans laquelle son article a été publié afin de trouver ses coordonnées. Si vous n’arrivez pas à les repérer, communiquez avec nous à PublicationsArchive-ArchivesPublications@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca.
Questions? Contact the NRC Publications Archive team at
PublicationsArchive-ArchivesPublications@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca. If you wish to email the authors directly, please see the first page of the publication for their contact information.
NRC Publications Archive
Archives des publications du CNRC
This publication could be one of several versions: author’s original, accepted manuscript or the publisher’s version. / La version de cette publication peut être l’une des suivantes : la version prépublication de l’auteur, la version acceptée du manuscrit ou la version de l’éditeur.
Access and use of this website and the material on it are subject to the Terms and Conditions set forth at Report on the 16th Meeting of the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes, April 2004
Archer, J. W.
https://publications-cnrc.canada.ca/fra/droits
L’accès à ce site Web et l’utilisation de son contenu sont assujettis aux conditions présentées dans le site
LISEZ CES CONDITIONS ATTENTIVEMENT AVANT D’UTILISER CE SITE WEB.
NRC Publications Record / Notice d'Archives des publications de CNRC: https://nrc-publications.canada.ca/eng/view/object/?id=1e9fe030-7492-4b5e-9400-b3d67af55661 https://publications-cnrc.canada.ca/fra/voir/objet/?id=1e9fe030-7492-4b5e-9400-b3d67af55661
Report on the 16th Meeting of the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes, April 2004
Archer, J.
NRCC-47033
A version of this document is published in / Une version de ce document se trouve dans : Journal of the Ontario Building Officials Association, Issue 61, March 2004, pp. 26-27
Report on the 16th Meeting of the Canadian Commission on
Building and Fire Codes, April 2004 John Archer
Secretary, Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes
This article, written for the Journal of the Ontario Building Officials Association, reports the highlights of decisions made concerning the final content and format of the National Building Code, the National Fire Code and the National Plumbing Code. These codes are expected to be published in mid-2005.
Cet article, écrit pour le journal de l'Association des officiers en bâtiments de l'Ontario, souligne l'essentiel des décisions prises quant au contenu et au format du Code national du bâtiment, du Code national de prévention des incendies et du Code national de la plomberie. La publication de ces codes est prévue vers le milieu de l'année 2005.
The Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCBFC) met 4-5 April 2004 in Victoria to approve the content and format of the 2005 national model codes. The intense two-day meeting drew 38 CCBFC members as well as delegations from several industries and interest groups.
The main objective was approval of changes to be incorporated in the 2005 national building, fire and plumbing codes. These changes include technical matters as well as the new objective-based format and structure of the documents.
Most of the technical changes recommended by the CCBFC standing committees after public review were approved by the Commission. However, decision on two proposed changes have been deferred and will need to be studied by ad hoc groups established jointly with the provincial and territorial jurisdictions. These ad hoc groups are typically composed of the chair of the standing committee concerned, provincial and territorial representatives wishing to participate, and NRC technical staff.
Highlights of the meeting were:
o All National Building Code (NBC) Part 4 proposed changes were approved
except those on earthquake/seismic design. The province of Ontario has requested more time to evaluate their impact. An ad hoc group formed prior to the Commission meeting will be maintained to assist in the evaluation. When the Ontario position is clarified, the Commission will vote on the matter no later than this fall. This delay is not expected to have a significant impact on the 2005 publication date of the national codes.
o Approval of the proposed changes to the National Plumbing Code (NPC)
establishing a maximum hot water temperature at fixtures in residential
occupancies has been postponed. The provincial and territorial jurisdictions have raised enforcement issues, as well as concerns about legionella if hot water tank temperatures are kept too low. The Commission requested that an ad hoc group
be formed immediately to deal with this issue. It is expected that a vote will take place before the end of May 2004.
o Proposed changes to the NPC that would have required shut-off valves for all
plumbing fixtures in residential occupancies were not approved. The Commission accepted the recommendation of an ad hoc group formed to address
provincial/territorial concerns that these changes were beyond the mandate of the NPC to provide minimum standards.
o The Commission supported a recommendation of the Standing Committee on
Houses not to reference the CSA-B214 standard on hydronic heating for houses and deferred the matter to the next code cycle (note, however, that the standard will be referenced in NBC Part 6). CSA has committed itself to reviewing and updating the standard as soon as possible, and there is a possibility that it could be referenced as an Interim Change to the 2005 NBC.
o The Commission did not approve a request from the insulating glass
manufacturing industry to incorporate in the 2005 NBC a reference to ASTM-E2190 standard on insulating glass without public review. The industry’s concerns relate to the economic burden of having to certify products twice (once to the CGSB standard and once to the ASTM standard) in order to sell in the American market. However, the Commission concluded that adequate public review on this matter was needed. There is a possibility that the standard could be referenced as an Interim Change to the 2005 NBC.
o References to the CSA-S478 guideline on durability were withdrawn from two
proposed changes for NBC Parts 2 and 5. The Commission’s concern was that the CSA document called for set time periods for the performance of materials and assemblies, an approach that could prove problematic.
o The Commission supported a recommendation of the Standing Committee on Fire
Safety and Occupancy to allow the construction of firewalls with up to a two-hour fire rating with materials other than masonry or concrete. The masonry industry had expressed concerns with the durability of non-masonry walls, but the Commission was satisfied that the performance criteria were adequate and that alternate approaches should be permitted.
o Proposed changes that would have eliminated requirements for party walls on
property lines in NBC Parts 3 and 9 were not approved. The Standing Committee on Fire Safety and Occupancy had recommended the deletion of this requirement for NBC Part 3, to reflect current practice with condominium and strata title buildings. However, the Standing Committee on Houses did not recommend a similar action for NBC Part 9 buildings. The Commission has asked the two standing committees to develop a common position on this matter over the next code cycle.
o Proposed changes that would have expanded the requirements for fire protection
of electrical conductors in Article 3.2.6.9. of the NBC were not approved. There were concerns that cost implications may not have been fully considered by the Standing Committee on Fire Safety and Occupancy. This work is deferred to the next code cycle.
o Proposed changes on lateral loads in Section 9.4 of the NBC were not approved.
requested more time to conduct their study. Work on these changes is deferred to the next cycle.
The Commission concluded its meeting by approving the formation of a joint task group with the provinces and territories to recommend code development priorities for the next code cycle. This task group will report to the Commission and to the Provincial/
Territorial Policy Advisory Committee on Codes (PTPACC) in the spring of 2005. The task group will also make recommendations on the scope and structure of new CCBFC standing committees. These new standing committees are expected to begin their work in the fall of 2005.
Over the summer of 2004 a membership renewal process for the Commission will take place. Recommendations from industry, the general public and the provincial and territorial jurisdictions regarding potential members are encouraged. The membership renewal process for the CCBFC standing committees will take in the summer of 2005. Again recommendations for membership on these bodies are encouraged.
John Archer is with the Canadian Codes Centre of the National Research Council’s Institute for Research in Construction. For more information on the national model code
