Two weeks ago in Kansas City, Missouri, governmental members at the International Code Council (ICC) Public Comment Hearings considered the “Outcome-Based Compliance” proposed code change (CE37-16) to the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). The proposed code change, submitted by the National Institute of Building Sciences, would implement an optional outcome-based path for buildings to achieve energy-efficiency requirements instead of using existing prescriptive or performance pathways. The voting members in attendance considered several options for final incorporation of the proposal into the 2018 IECC. The proposal still must undergo one more vote from the ICC membership to become part of the 2018 IECC. Governmental members are requested to vote in favor of the proposal “As Submitted.”

Today, following a year-long development process, the National Institute of Building Sciences released its new guideline to help building owners utilize building information modeling (BIM). The National BIM Guide for Owners (NBGO) provides building owners with an approach, from their own profession’s standpoint, to create and fulfill BIM requirements for a typical project. Unveiled during the kickoff of Building Innovation 2017: The Institute’s Fifth Annual Conference and Expo in Washington, D.C., the Guide is now available free online.

Today, the National Institute of Building Sciences officially launched its newly redesigned free web portal, the WBDG Whole Building Design Guide®.

Used by millions of building professionals each year, the WBDG contains design, construction and facility management information and criteria required by U.S. military and other federal agencies, along with substantial content on topics of interest to all building professionals.

The National Institute of Building Sciences National Council of Governments on Building Codes and Standards (NCGBCS) today issued a white paper focused on one of its priorities, “The Role of Existing Building Codes in Safely, Cost-Effectively Transforming the Nation’s Building Stock.”

Existing buildings define the main streets and the skylines of the nation’s communities. Yet, as these communities evolve to address changes in their economy and populations, they don’t always have the mechanisms in place to assure the safety and security of their citizens while providing building owners and developers a cost-effective means for updating the existing building stock to meet changing needs. Existing building codes provide just such a mechanism.

This January, following a year-long development process, the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) released its new guideline to help building owners utilize building information modeling (BIM). Now, only a month later, the Institute has agreed to allow the Chinese affiliate of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International, BOMA China, to translate the National BIM Guide for Owners (NBGO) into Mandarin.

NIBS, with the support of BOMA and ASHRAE, and financial support from the U.S. Department of Defense – Defense Health Agency, compiled a carefully balanced, integrated team to craft the NBGO. Available free online, the NBGO provides building owners with an approach, from their own profession’s standpoint, to create and fulfill BIM requirements for a typical project. The guide addresses three broad areas the owner should understand in order to work effectively with the Project BIM Team: process; infrastructure and standards; and execution.

The National Institute of Building Sciences has earned recognition as a Preferred Education Provider by the International Code Council (ICC).

As an authoritative source of innovative solutions for the built environment, the Institute offers many continuing education opportunities for code officials and other members of the building industry to expand their awareness of the latest technologies and cutting-edge resources relating to the building sciences. By becoming an ICC Preferred Education Provider, the Institute can now offer the nation’s building safety professionals, among them more than 40,000 ICC-certified individuals, an opportunity to attend approved Institute courses and earn credit for their continuing education.

The National Institute of Building Sciences Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) will host a special webinar to address the newest ground motion requirements of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)/Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) standard, ASCE 7-16: Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures. Sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the free webinar, “New Site-Specific Ground Motion Requirements of ASCE 7-16,” is scheduled for Friday, July 28, 2017, from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm ET (11:00 am to 12:00 pm PT).

The presenter, Dr. Charles A. Kircher, is a member of the BSSC Provisions Update Committee (PUC) and BSSC Project 17 Committee, as well as the ASCE 7 Seismic Subcommittee. He will talk about how the new site-specific design requirements were developed to address an identified shortcoming in the method for buildings on softer sites.

The National Institute of Building Sciences Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) will host the sixth webinar in its 2017 series sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The free webinar, “Seismic Design of Masonry with the 2015 NEHRP Provisions,” will be held Friday, August 25, 2017, from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm ET (11:00 am to 12:00 pm PT).

The BSSC webinar series highlights the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) 2015 NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions for Buildings and Other Structures, as well as its supporting materials, FEMA P-1051 Design Examples and FEMA P-1052 Training Materials.

A number of cities and states across the United States have begun to recognize that the current code-based mechanisms in place do not provide the means to help them achieve their energy performance goals for buildings. Codes largely focus on design requirements for a limited number of building characteristics, but do not require verification that the design results in actual, measurable energy savings. That is why the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) and the New Buildings Institute (NBI) developed Implementing an Outcome-Based Compliance Path in Energy Codes: Guidance for Cities, released today. This guidance document provides jurisdictions with a new approach to shift the focus towards actual, measurable energy results so they can begin impacting energy influencing measures not currently included in the nation’s model energy codes.

Today, the National Institute of Building Sciences National Council on Building Codes and Standards (NCBCS) issued a new white paper, Engaging Code Officials Early in the Process to Achieve High-Performance Buildings.

In recent years, building owners and communities have increasingly focused on improving the design, construction and operation of buildings to meet enhanced levels of performance. People within the building industry recognize the role that increased collaboration during the design and construction process can play in realizing the desired levels of performance. However, the collaborative process, to date, largely leaves out one important participant—the code official.