News Updates - June 13, 2013

Oregon’s Building Codes Division Celebrates
40 years of Regulatory Success

BCD display at State Capitol, May 2013 - Credit: Julie Waters

Oregon’s standards for safety and energy efficiency are the same whether you’re building in Pendleton or Portland, Ashland or Astoria. It’s a true state building code.

The passage of Senate Bill 73 in 1973 is the foundation for Oregon’s unique “mini-maxi” building code structure. What that means is that the code serves as both the minimum standard that all construction in the state needs to meet and also the maximum standard that the 138 jurisdictions administering the state building code at the local level can require or enforce.

The construction industry, specifically the Oregon Home Builders Association (OHBA), drove the impetus for a uniform statewide building code. Before 1973, builders in Oregon faced a confusing maze of building code regulations. On one hand, as many as 53 different codes existed in the Portland Metro area. On the other hand, more than half of Oregon’s counties had no building codes at all. Fred VanNatta, who represented OHBA and worked to pass SB 73, remembers how this inconsistency created uncertainty for builders:

“There would be different standards for the same thing across Oregon. In one community, the railing had to be so high and the bars had to be so far apart. Maybe you needed an outlet in the attic or maybe you didn’t have to have an outlet. We believed there should be a uniform statewide building code.”

While SB 73 explicitly prohibited cities and counties from adopting different building code standards than those adopted by the Building Codes Division (BCD), any designer and builder can choose to voluntarily exceed the minimum requirements of the state code. LEED-certified buildings and Energy Star homes are examples of above-code construction. Their proliferation, as well as Oregon’s reputation as a leader in the green building movement, is evidence that Oregon’s 40-year-old building code structure and processes are responsive and flexible to accommodate change and allow for innovation.

For more information, visit BCD’s green building website or contact Gabrielle Schiffer, Green Building Coordinator, at 503-373-7418.

Code Committee Updates

Structural Code
The Structural Code Committee concluded its review and adoption process for the 2014 Oregon Structural Specialty Code (OSSC) on Thursday, April 4, 2013. On June 12, the Building Codes Structures Board reviewed and recommended the provisions of the 2014 Oregon Structural Specialty Code for public hearing. The Board discussed and accepted the details of the proposed code changes in the following general categories:

• Substantial Requirement Changes in 2012 Model Code – 92 items
• Editorial and Non-Substantive Requirement Changes in 2012 Model Code
• Existing Oregon Amendments – 49 items
• New Amendment Proposals – Public – 45 items
• New Amendment Proposals – BCD – 32 items
• Existing Statewide Alternate Methods
• Existing Statewide Interpretations

The hearing is scheduled for July 23, 2013 – 10:00 a.m. with an anticipated effective date of April 1, 2014. Visit the website to review the proposed rules that adopt the 2014 OSSC.

For more information, contact Richard Rogers at 503-378-4472 or Steve Judson at 503-378-4635.

Mechanical Code
The Mechanical Code Committee concluded its review and adoption process for the 2014 Oregon Mechanical Specialty Code (OMSC) on Tuesday, March 12, 2013. The Mechanical Board reviewed and accepted the provisions of the 2014 Oregon Mechanical Specialty Code on June 5, 2013. The Board discussed and recommended the code for public hearing in the following general categories:

• Substantial Requirement Changes in 2012 IMC and IFGC – 46 items
• Editorial and Non-Substantive Requirement Changes in 2012 Model Code
• Existing Oregon Amendments – 24 items
• New Amendment Proposals – Public – 1 item
• New Amendment Proposals – BCD – 10 items
• Existing Statewide Alternate Methods
• Existing Statewide Interpretations

The hearing is scheduled for July 23, 2013 – 9:00 a.m. with an anticipated effective date of April 1, 2014. Visit the website to review the proposed rules that adopt the 2014 OMSC.

For more information contact Mark Heizer at 503-373-0205.

Division Announces New Employees

The Building Codes Division is pleased to announce that:

• Randy Rudy is serving as the Assistant Building Official in our Field Services Section as of June 1, 2013.

• James Pedersen will be assisting in a number of program areas in Statewide Services as of May 13, 2013.

• Cathleen Connolly is a new Policy Analyst in Policy & Technical Services as of May 13, 2013.

Enforcement

Summary of enforcement cases presented
to the Board of Boiler Rules
Summary report: These cases were resolved by the division's enforcement section without going to a contested case hearing. No action was required by the Board of Boiler Rules.

Boiler Conditioned Licenses