Progress on National Construction Code Activities

By John Burrows


The development of the 2010 editions of the national construction codes is proceeding to the final consultation stage: a public review scheduled for the period of September 1 to October 30, 2009. Builders can review and comment on the proposed changes affecting them by accessing the national codes Web site.
The public review focuses on issues considered to be of highest priority based on consultations with provincial and territorial regulatory authorities and industry stakeholders. They include approximately 50 proposed technical changes to the National Building Code, the National Fire Code and the National Plumbing Code. The main issues are summarized as follows:
Care occupancies (NBC, NFC): A new occupancy classification for residential care facilities (Group B3 occupancy) is proposed to address concerns that current requirements are more applicable to institutions than facilities providing some degree of care. The proposed changes deal with issues such as corridor widths for wheelchairs and stretchers, fire department access, fire detection, emergency power and sprinklers.
Climbable guards (NBC): The 2005 NBC Part 9 requirement that handrail guards not be climbable, placed limitations on the horizontal projections of spindles. This greatly restricted ornamental design possibilities. Proposed changes submitted for the public review are a compromise that respects both industry and regulatory concerns. Design limitations are being removed for certain applications including the interior of homes and occupancies such as nightclubs and prisons. Design specifications for other applications are being replaced with a simple statement that the guards cannot be climbable. The proposed changes would leave it to the authorities to determine whether a guard meets the non-climbable requirement.
Protection against falls from residential occupancy windows (NBC): As part of efforts to harmonize Parts 3 and 9, it was noted that protection against falls from operable, residential windows was not addressed within Part 3. The proposed change would require operable windows to have guards or mechanisms to limit opening width to a maximum of 100 mm.
Radon (NBC): A new Health Canada guideline (June 2007) reduced the maximum indoor radon concentration to 200 becquerels/m3. Subsequent to this change, a task group reviewed related code requirements to determine their adequacy for protecting occupants from radon, while providing viable compliance options for designers and builders. Proposed changes to Part 9 were then made, including consolidating existing air barrier requirements and requiring that every building have a rough-in for a future radon exhaust system, should the need for radon mitigation occur.
Localities for seismic values and climatic data (NBC): The seismic values in Table C-2 of Appendix C have been revised as a result of a change in the equation used to calculate them. The locations listed in the table have also been revised to improve the correlation between data locations and the needs of designers. The table is being submitted for public review to confirm the agreement of the structural design community.

More Issues of Interest
The NRC-IRC, in collaboration with the Régie du bâtiment du Québec, has published the Quebec Construction Code, Chapter III – Plumbing, and National Plumbing Code of Canada 2005 (amended). This new document includes the amendments to Chapter III, Plumbing, and the amended NPC provisions so as to indicate clearly to users the changes that apply to construction and renovation work in Quebec. The document is now available in print (binder format) from the NRC Virtual Store at www.nrc.gc.ca/virtualstore. It will be offered on CD-ROM and on the Web (on-line subscription service) later this summer.
In November 2008, in response to a request for guidance from the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes, the Provincial/Territorial Policy Advisory Committee on Codes recommended that an objective for energy efficiency for houses be added to Part 9 of the National Building Code for 2012. A task group now studying this request will recommend a course of action.
After the release of the 2010 National Building Code, a companion Illustrated Guide will be issued to address Part 9. Combining text and illustrations that clarify requirements, the Guide will help builders and code officials understand the application of Part 9. Entitled “Illustrated Guide to Part 9 – NBC 2010,” the document will be published in 2012.

Builders wishing to obtain more information about these initiatives may contact the secretary to the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes at 613-993-5569, by fax at 613-952-4040, or by e-mail.

 

John Burrows is an engineer and technical writer. Jim Gallagher is the former manager (retired) of Publication Services at NRC-IRC.