2021 International Building Code Essentials: Health Safety
Proper building construction is essential for durability, occupant well-being, and regulatory compliance. This course provides building code training focused on International Building Code (IBC) requirements for weather protection and interior health and safety standards.
Learn how to prevent moisture-related structural damage, ensure proper ventilation, lighting, and sanitation, and comply with key health and safety regulations. By understanding IBC guidelines, you’ll gain the knowledge needed to enhance building performance and protect occupants.
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Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Identify the role of building codes in the design process and the importance of evolving standards in shaping code requirements
- Distinguish between the various types of codes, including those related to health and safety, used in the building process
- Compare prescriptive versus performance-based code requirements under the International Building Code
- Understand the federal government’s role in regulating building standards and safety
- Summarize the relationship between standard organizations and the development of building codes
- Describe the various standards within the construction and building industry, focusing on health, safety, and moisture prevention
Specs
| Course Level | Intermediate |
| Languages | English |
| Compatibility | Audio, Video, MobileReady, Responsive |
Key Questions
The International Building Code (IBC) is a comprehensive set of regulations that govern building design, construction, and safety standards. It is critical for ensuring that buildings are structurally sound, safe, and equipped to protect occupants from hazards such as moisture, fire, and environmental contaminants. Proper building code training helps professionals stay updated on the latest requirements to ensure compliance and health safety.
How does this course address health and safety in building design?This course outlines the International Building Code’s requirements for maintaining a healthy interior environment. Key factors such as ventilation, sanitation, light, and temperature control are covered to ensure that buildings not only meet safety standards but also provide a comfortable and safe space for occupants.
Who should take this building code training course?This course is ideal for professionals in the building and construction industries, including architects, engineers, contractors, and building inspectors, who need to stay current with International Building Code regulations, especially those related to health and safety.
Sample Video Transcript
The best way to protect the building from moisture is to keep the water out of the building in the first place. The IBC requires that the building be provided with a weather-resistant exterior wall envelope, including flashing. The wall must also be designed to prevent water from accumulating within the wall assembly.
This is accomplished by providing a water-resistant barrier behind the exterior veneer (also called siding or cladding) and a means of drainage to the exterior for any water that enters the assembly. It also requires that a vapor retarder be provided on the interior side of framed walls to resist the passage of water vapor and condensation into the wall assembly.
There are several ways to prevent water from entering a wall assembly. The primary concept is to provide a drainage plane away from the building. This is accomplished by installing the exterior wall covering materials in a proper manner. Flashing is the second important component of an exterior wall.
This moves the water away from openings and dissimilar materials. There are hundreds of
different materials used in the construction of an exterior wall assembly. These systems must be installed properly per the manufacturer’s instructions and applicable codes to meet the intent of keeping the water out of the exterior wall assembly.
The drainage plane is the space between the exterior veneer and the water-resistant barrier behind the veneer. The drainage plane provides a direction for water to flow after it hits the side of a building and migrates through the wall covering. It is important that the drainage plane provide drainage down and away from the wall.
The most common way to provide the drainage plane is to install weather-resistant materials in a shingle fashion over the wall surface before the exterior veneer is installed. Asphalt felt or plastic building wrap can be installed before the exterior veneer to create the drainage plane.
Flashing is one of the most important components, other than the weather-resistant barrier, that must be installed correctly in the exterior wall envelope. It prevents water from entering the wall at openings where building components penetrate the exterior wall assembly. The IBC requires flashing be installed in such a manner so as to prevent moisture from entering the wall or to direct it to the exterior.
The code specifies the location where flashing is required but does not specify how the flashing must be installed. There are too many different materials used in flashing systems. It would be impossible to include all of the different systems in the code. Therefore, the installation details of flashing are typically left up to the design professional or
manufacturer of the flashing material. The installation instructions of the penetrating item, such as a door or window, must be followed as well.
Flashing must be installed around window and door openings, at gutters, and at exterior wall intersections with roofs, chimneys, porches, decks, and similar projections – any location where moisture could enter the wall
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