Five Focus States

Several states have been identified as “states of focus” which could benefit from having a statewide minimum building code. These states are Alabama, Arizona, Illinois, Mississippi and Texas.

Several issues were taken into consideration when the states of focus for the year 2007 were chosen. The parameters included: 

1. Concrete consumption

2. Status and support of local groups

3. Recent catalyst event

4. Current status of code

5. Legislative cycle and
   Bills currently in progress

6. Strong member support

7. Risk of code change status

8. Risk of catalyst event

9. Alliances

 Catalyst events include, but are not limited to:

• Hurricane

• Energy crisis

• Tornado

• Earth quake

• large loss fire

• large loss structural collapse or damage

Although NRMCA is focusing on these states, other states may have the need for support and input from NRMCA. Contact Tien Peng.

Alabama

Code Status, October 2006

Alabama does not adopt or enforce a statewide building code for all structures. Alabama requires that state buildings, hotels, schools and motion picture theaters meet the requirements set forth in the 2003 International Building Code. This requirement is mandatory for all jurisdictions. Any municipality in the State of Alabama may adopt any model building code published by the Southern Building Code Congress International and the National Electrical Code published by the National Fire Protection Association. All buildings must meet the requirements of the 1997 Standard Building Code for fire protection. As with the building code, a state wide residential code is not in effect. The largest city in Alabama, Birmingham, requires all buildings meet the requirements set forth in the City of Birmingham Technical Codes which is based on the 1997 Standard Building Code.

Several bills have been put forth to the Alabama legislature since Hurricane Katrina addressing the status of an Alabama state building code. Bill 653 created the Alabama Building Code Study Commission.

The purposes of the commission defined in the bill are:

1. To identify minimum standards for construction to respond to federal requirements for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) aid after a natural disaster such as a tornado, flood, hurricane, fire, or earthquake;

2. To address concerns from national insurers who may be limiting writing new or are not renewing property insurance because of a lack of building standards in many areas of Alabama; and

3. To promote the health, safety, and welfare of the public.

The last meeting of the Alabama Building Code Study Commission was scheduled
for July 2006. The recommendations from that meeting are still pending.

Alabama produces approximately 1.4% of the United States total of ready mixed concrete each year. The state affiliate organization is the Alabama Concrete Industries Association. 

Arizona

Code Status, October 2006

Arizona does not adopt or enforce a statewide building code. However, all but one jurisdiction, Yuma County, adopts the International Building code. The two largest cities in Arizona, Phoenix and Tucson, enforce the 2003 International Building Code with amendments. As with the building code, a state wide residential code is not in effect. Phoenix and Tucson enforce the International Residential Code as does 27 of the 33 Arizona jurisdictions.

There have been no bills passed or put forth to the Arizona legislature since 2004 dealing with the adoption of a statewide building code. The Arizona Revised Statute, Title 9, Chapter 7 allows for each individual jurisdiction to provide their own building and residential code.

Arizona produces approximately 3.5% of the United States total of ready mixed concrete each year. The state affiliate organization is the Arizona Rock Products

Association.

Illinois

Code Status, November 2006

Illinois does not adopt or enforce a statewide building code or residential code. Only 22% of the cities and counties in Illinois adopt some form of building code. The building code effective in the state of Illinois ranges from the 1967 Illinois Building Coded to the 2006 International Building Code.

A task group was formed by the legislature in 2005 to address statewide building codes. The group met a number of times and has since ceased meetings. A final report outlining the results of the task group has been published.  The report recommends adoption of a statewide building code in the form of the International Building Code.  It is believed that Chicago will also adopt the IBC in the near future. The governor of Illinois requested a formal recommendation by the task group on this issue by May 2007.

Illinois produces approximately 3.6% of the United States total of ready mixed concrete each year. The state affiliate organization is the Illinois Ready Mixed Concrete Association. The state organization has been contacted and has actively and aggressive responded. Steps have been taken by the local group to contact their members to address this issue.

Mississippi

Code Status, October 2006

Mississippi does not adopt or enforce a statewide building code for all structures. Mississippi requires that state buildings, leased or owned, meet the requirements set forth in the 1997 Standard Building Code. This requirement is mandatory for all jurisdictions. Mississippi does not mandate a code for residential construction. It is up to local jurisdictions to adopt and enforce building codes.

Several bills have been put forth to the Mississippi legislature since Hurricane Katrina addressing the status of a state building code. Bill 1406 created the Mississippi Building Code Council. In addition to creating the Council, House Bill 1406 requires five coastal counties, Jackson, Harrison, Hancock, Stone, and Pearl River, and the municipalities located therein, on an emergency basis, to enforce all the wind and flood mitigation requirements prescribed by the 2003 International Residential Code (IRC) and the 2003 International Building Code(IBC). In its first-ever meeting, the new Mississippi Building Codes Council adopted the 2003 International Building Code and 2003 International Residential Code for the state. The Council's action does not require local jurisdictions to adopt building codes, but ensures that they will use the International Codes if they do. The council had until July 1, 2007, to make code recommendations for the entire state.

House Bill 1406 Reads:

AN ACT TO REQUIRE JACKSON, HARRISON, HANCOCK, 1 STONE AND PEARL RIVER COUNTIES, AND MUNICIPALITIES LOCATED THEREIN, TO ENFORCE WIND AND FLOOD MITIGATION REQUIREMENTS OF CERTAIN NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED CODES AND STANDARDS; TO PROVIDE THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF ANY SUCH COUNTY AND/OR THE GOVERNING AUTHORITIES OF ANY MUNICIPALITY WITHIN A COUNTY, UPON RESOLUTION DULY ADOPTED AND ENTERED UPON ITS MINUTES, MAY CHOOSE NOT TO BE SUBJECT TO SUCH CODE REQUIREMENTS; TO REQUIRE SUCH COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES TO ADOPT CERTAIN NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED BUILDING AND RESIDENTIAL CODES; TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI BUILDING CODES COUNCIL AND PROVIDE FOR ITS MEMBERSHIP; TO PROVIDE THAT COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES MAY ADOPT CODES ESTABLISHED BY THE MISSISSIPPI BUILDING CODES COUNCIL; TO EXEMPT FARM STRUCTURES AND CERTAIN OTHER BUILDINGS, FACILITIES AND MANUFACTURED HOUSING FROM THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT; TO AMEND SECTIONS 19-5-9 AND 21-19-25, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, IN CONFORMITY TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Mississippi produces approximately 0.9% of the United States total of ready mixed concrete each year. The state affiliate organization is the Mississippi Concrete Industries Association.

Texas

Code Status, October 2006

Texas does not adopt or enforce a statewide building code for all structures. Texas requires that only commercial buildings meet the requirements set forth in the 2003 International Building Code. This requirement is mandatory for all jurisdictions that choose to adopt a building code but not enforced or mandated in those which do not choose a building code. Two major cities in Texas, Austin and El Paso, adopt the 2003 IBC for commercial buildings only. Dallas, Ft. Worth, Houston and San Antonio adopted the International Building Code for all buildings. As with the building code, a state wide residential code is not in effect. The local jurisdictions are allowed to “opt-in” or “opt-out” of the adoption of the 2000 International Residential Code.

Several bills were put forth to the Texas legislature in the last five years addressing state of Texas building codes. One such bill, House Bill 730, requires that the commission develop building and performance standards for residential construction in Texas. These standards will not be a building code. Instead, they detail how a home must perform after it is built. The commission had to comply with certain building code standards, including parts of the International Residential Code (IRC), when developing these building and performance standards. Bill SB1430, instituted in 2004, mandated that all new commercial structures in which construction started after January 1, 2006, meet the requirements of the International Building Code. "Commercial" is defined as a building for the use or occupation of people for: a public purpose or economic gain or particular multi-family residencies. In 2006 no bills were scheduled to be presented which address the issue of statewide building codes in Texas.

Texas produces approximately 11.7% of the United States total of ready mixed concrete each year. The state affiliate organization is the Texas Aggregates and Concrete Association. Bob James of TACA has been contacted and is interested in pursuing this goal. TACA has already brought this issue to the attention of the governor and speaker in Texas.