IIBEC’s First-Round Successes with 2024 Building Code Changes

By Emily Lorenz

IIBEC Senior Director of Technical Services Emily Lorenz, PE, attended the International Code Council’s Committee Action Hearings in Rochester, New York, March 28–April 5, 2022, to support the six IIBEC code change proposals (CCPs) submitted for the 2024 International Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code (IRC). Detailed information on the outcomes of the CCPs can be found here.

Approved: S-44

• This proposal adds a requirement to Exception 1 of Section 1512.1 of the IBC to check for ponding instability if an existing roof doesn’t meet minimum slope.
• Approved language (changes shown in strike-through and underline):

Roof replacement or roof recover of existing low-slope roof coverings shall not be required to meet the minimum design slope requirement of / unit vertical in 12 units horizontal (2-percent slope) in Section 1507 for roofs that provide positive roof drainage and meet the requirements of Section 1608.3 and Section 1611.2.

Approved: S-45

• This proposal adds a requirement to Exception 2 of Section 1512.1 of the IBC to check for ponding instability if an existing roof doesn’t have secondary drainage.
• Approved language (changes shown in strike-through and underline):

Recovering or replacing an existing roof covering shall not be required to meet the requirement for secondary (emergency overflow) drains or scuppers in Section 1502.2 for roofs that provide for positive roof drainage and have been determined to resist all design loads meet the requirements of Section 1608.3 and Section 1611.2. For the purposes of this exception, existing secondary drainage or scupper systems required in accordance with this code shall not be removed unless they are replaced by secondary drains or scuppers designed and installed in accordance with Section 1502.2.

Withdrawn: RB-225

• This proposal clarified requirements related to proper drainage for stucco.
• Proposal was withdrawn because IIBEC collaborated with other industry groups to modify and support S-240, which passed.

Disapproved: RB-257

• This proposal adds a slope requirement for various horizontal surfaces into the IRC. Proposal was primarily disapproved because it was inserted into an inappropriate section of the code (per the committee). Section number of change will be revised and resubmitted as a public comment.
• Submitted language (changes shown in strike-through and underline):

R903.5 Waterproofing weather-exposed areas. Balconies, decks, landings, exterior stairways, occupied roofs, and similar surfaces exposed to the weather and sealed underneath shall be waterproofed and sloped a minimum of 1/4 unit vertical in 12 units horizontal (2% slope) for drainage.

Disapproved: S-3

• This proposal adds a slope requirement for various horizontal surfaces into the IBC. Proposal was primarily disapproved because it was inserted into an inappropriate section of the code (per the committee). Section number of change will be revised and resubmitted as a public comment.
• Submitted language (changes shown in strike-through and underline):

1502.5 Waterproofing weather-exposed areas. Balconies, decks, landings, exterior stairways, occupied roofs, and similar surfaces exposed to the weather and sealed underneath shall be waterproofed and sloped a minimum of 1/4 unit vertical in 12 units horizontal (2% slope) for drainage.

Disapproved: S-55

• This proposal adds testing methods to replace the term “water soaked” in Exception 1 of Section 1512.2.1.1. The committee did not like the outright deletion of “water soaked” and wanted to see performance requirements related to the testing. Proposal will be revised and resubmitted as a public comment
• Submitted language (changes shown in strike-through and underline):

Where the existing roof or roof covering is water soaked found to have moisture present by infrared testing in accordance with ASTM C1153, electrical impedance testing in accordance with ASTM D7954/D7954M, or nuclear testing in accordance with ANSI/SPRI/RCI NT-1 2012 and the existing roof or roof covering cannot be removed and restored on a spot basis.

All approved and disapproved proposals will be open for public comment this summer. Proponents and opponents will then meet in Louisville, Kentucky, in September 2022 to debate the merits of the public comments. Final changes will be approved or disapproved by an online governmental consensus vote in late fall 2022.