Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Department of Buildings presented city councilmembers with the first major update to the building code in 70 years to better align construction requirements with up-to-date model codes and national standards. The proposed changes–which seek to advance sustainability and make construction more cost-effective–will be phased in beginning June 1 and completely replace the current building code by Aug. 1, 2020.
The updated code will include new requirements for sprinkler systems and a wide range of building materials, such as walls and roofs; encourage preservation of Chicago’s existing building stock, including historic buildings; and adopt seismic design requirements for critical facilities. It also adopts the International Building Code’s widely used terminology and classification systems for building occupancies and construction types.
Similar to the new electrical and elevator codes that were successfully implemented last year, the proposed building code retains several requirements in the existing code that have enhanced building safety in Chicago’s unique local conditions and urban density, such as stricter limits on the use of combustible materials in larger buildings.
