- Author
-
Association for Preservation Technology International
|
Fire Safety Institute
- Title
- Draft Code for Historic Buildings. The Draft Historic Building Code Project.
- Coporate
- Association for Preservation Technology International, Valatie, NY
Fire Safety Institute, Middlebury, VT
- Report
-
Draft Code
October 2000
136 p.
- Keywords
-
historic buildings
|
building codes
|
methodology
|
regulations
|
life safety
|
cost effectiveness
- Abstract
- The draft Code for Historic Buildings (dCHB) was prepared for the Association for Preservation Technology, International by principal consultants architect Marilyn E. Kaplan and fire protection engineer Dr. John M. Watts, Jr. The dCHB was developed between 1998 and 2000, by the principal consultants working with a committee of peers representing the International Code Council, the model code organizations, the National Park Service, and architects with specific expertise in rehabilitation and historic preservation. Funding for the project has been provided by the National Park Service's Center for Preservation Technology and Training. The project was designed to produce the skeleton of a document, independent of any particular code, that could be adapted for historic buildings by individual states, municipalities or other code promulgating entities. Over the course of the project, the committee determined that the final product should be redirected and align with the format and language of the International Building Code (IBC), published in early 2000 by the International Code Council (ICC). The IBC is intended to become the nation's first nationally applicable building codgj. Written primarily to address new construction, the IBC is limited in the direction it provides for existing and historic btiildings. It is understood that an International Existing Buildings Code is currently under development, and it is hoped that the dCHB will have a substantive role in the development of the histcrric building provisions of this code or a separate historic building code. With the nation's move to a single national building code system, it is an ideal time for special consideration to be given to historic buildings. While all structures are vulnerable to damage and destruction by fire and other catastrophic situations. Historic buildings have additiona vulnerability: their dest,ruction represents an irretrievable loss to the cultural heritage, and they can be substantively damaged by catastrophe or the imposition of code requirements written for new construction. New construction requirements generally limit the flexibility of code officials and design professionals to resolve safety-related items in a manner that protects both life safety and the structure's historic and architectural significance.