The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has urged policymakers to reject any weakening of the building codes that have made America’s buildings the envy of the world and called for making public buildings a part of infrastructure renewal.
A new guide has been published on the Department of Energy’s Building American Publication and Product Library that addresses various means of applying foam sheathing on framed walls in moderate climate zones.
LEED certification currently comprises about 40% of green construction’s contribution to the economy, according to the USGBC’s Leticia McCadden, and by 2018, LEED is expected to directly contribute nearly $30 million to the nation’s GDP.
A Florida homeowner credits the more-stringent building code with saving her home and their lives. “For anyone who doubts these codes, I invite them to sit in a pre-code structure in a Category 3 storm or higher,” she said.
In Florida, Gov. Rick Scott recently vetoed a bill that would have pushed the compliance date to retrofit some 5,600 older, taller condominiums with fire sprinklers or other enhanced safety systems back three years from 2019 to 2022.
