Building a Safer World
Highlights of the upcoming ICC conference
W
orking to Build a Safer World” is the theme of the 2006 International
Code Council (ICC) Annual Conference scheduled for September 17 to
October 1 at the Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, FL. A lineup of
speakers from across the building safety industry is featured along
with relevant educational seminars and a Hurricane Protection Zone,
sponsored by the International Hurricane Protection Association (IHPA)
and Hurricane Protection magazine.
The Annual Conference features the first Code
Development Hearings of the 2006/2007 cycle. Attendees will have the
opportunity to voice opinions about proposed code changes and witness
the code development process at work. Everyone actively participating
in code development has an impact on protecting lives and property.
Scheduled speakers include David Paulison, director
of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Thaddeus Cohen,
secretary, Florida Department of Community Affairs; Michael Centineo,
director, New Orleans Safety and Permits Department; and James Hill,
director, Building and Fire Research Laboratory, National Institute of
Standards and Technology.
SEMINARS, CONTINUING EDUCATION
Ths year’s event also features more than 30
education sessions to learn about and apply the International Codes
while earning continuing education units (CEUs) and learning units
(LUs). Education program attendees will learn valuable solutions to
some of the construction industry’s most critical challenges and obtain
the tools needed to improve performance. Specialized sessions are
geared to all ability levels: entry, intermediate and advanced.
Several of the two-hour sessions are geared toward
natural hazard mitigation:
• Hurricane Resistant Wood Frame Construction will
examine the need for proper design and detailing of wood frame
structures for high-wind events in all regions of the country. This
session also details wind resistant requirements in the I-Codes, along
with load path continuity, critical connections, uplift resistance and
lateral bracing options.
• Tools for Conveying the Importance of Natural
Hazard Mitigation will examine results of an independent study
conducted by the Multihazard Mitigation Council (MMC) of the National
Institute of Building Sciences on cost savings resulting from actual
natural hazard mitigation activities. It will explain how the potential
effects of earthquake, hurricane and flood can be determined using
HAZUS-MH, a nationally applicable methodology and software program.
• Damage Assessment of Homes from an Engineering
Point of View addresses a method of reviewing damage to frames,
foundations and the skin of homes and buildings from wind, water and
earthquake load factors.
• High-Rise Building Emer-gency Evacuation Devices
discusses extreme events such as 9/11 and recent high-rise fires that
have deepened understanding of the problems associated with tenant
evacuation of, and responder access to, high-rise buildings
HURRICANE PROTECTION ZONE
The International Code Council Expo will showcase
the latest building and construction products and services. Featured
exhibitors display construction industry-related products and services
that improve the built environment.
New to the expo this year is the Hurricane
Protection Zone, sponsored by IHPA and Hurricane Protection magazine.
The Hurricane Protection Zone features products and services designed
to make homes and buildings safer during hurricanes and other high-wind
natural disasters. The special area located inside the ICC Expo focuses
attention on the importance of mitigation as a means of reducing the
level of damage from catastrophic events.
The International Code Council, a membership
association dedicated to building safety and fire prevention, develops
the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings,
including homes and schools. Most U.S. cities, counties and states that
adopt codes choose the International Codes developed by the
International Code Council.
For more information or to register for this year’s
conference, visit www.iccsafe.org/conference or call (888) ICC-SAFE
(422-7233), ext. 4229.