OBCC

Safety Tips from your Building Inspector

Admin — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 22:47:37 +0000

I did not get around to posting any info regarding Building Safety Month this year which was May 2011. Each year the International Code Council (ICC) promotes building safety awareness to help create community-wide recognition and understanding of building safety. There is a lot of information available on a variety of topics including flood cleanup tips, mold remediation, smoke detectors and much more. Read more about Consumer Safety tips from ICC and look for future articles on the OBCC blog regarding Public Safety. In the meantime, here are 5 Tips from your Building Inspector.

What Is Green Building?

Admin — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 22:46:56 +0000

In practical terms, green building is a whole-systems-approach to building that includes five principles of green building:

Livable communities
Energy Efficiency
Indoor Air Quality
Resource Conservation
Water Conservation

To learn more about these 5 principles visit the Build it Green website. Green buildings are sited, designed, constructed, and operated to enhance the well-being of their occupants and support a healthy community and natural environment. Green building practices preserve our environment for future generations by conserving natural resources and protecting air and water quality.

So how do Building Codes and Green Building work together to ensure a safe and energy efficient structure? Current building codes establish minimum construction standards that protect your safety. Green building supplements building codes by using premium materials that are more durable and construction practices that often exceed building code requirements. Together, these qualities enhance your home’s performance and reduce maintenance and replacement costs, thereby raising its overall value.

2011 Solar Decathlon House is ready for Inspection

Admin — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 01:23:21 +0000

The OSU entry into the 2011 Solar Decathlon in Washington, DC is ready for inspection. OBCC will be going to the Ohio State University next week to perform electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and framing inspections before the house is insulated and drywalled.
The OSU team has been hard at work, to see photos of the house check out their website.
We are very excited to be involved in this project and wish the OSU team Good Luck. GO Bucks!

OBCC is selected to inspect OSU 2011 Solar Decathlon House

Admin — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 21:37:47 +0000

Recently, OBCC was very honored to be chosen to inspect the Ohio State University School of Architecture’s entry in the 2011 Solar Decathlon.
Since 2002, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL) has sponsored the university student led Solar Decathlon. The Competition takes place every 2 years on the National Mall in Washington DC, where 20 teams from around the world build and showcase their innovative designs for 21st century, sustainable homes. The houses are judged in 10 categories relating to design, performance, and market viability. To read more about the OSU team and the 2011 house, click here.
Visit the United States Department of Energy Solar Decathlon website to read more about the competition and the other teams that are participating this year.

Recent OBCC seminar is a sucess!

Admin — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:31:46 +0000

Our recent seminar was well received. In fact, we have been asked to repeat the Wood Wall Framing course! We hope to do this in the near future, so check our website for details.

Don’t miss our upcoming seminar on October 16, 2009.
Elevators 101 focuses on requirements of the Ohio Building Code, The National Electrical Code and the Ohio Mechanical Code as they pertain to the construction of elevators. Also, a representative of ThyssenKrupp Elevators will be attending.

General Mechanical Requirements and Flood resistant Construction should generate insightful discussion between our attendees and our instructor, Michael J. Stacy.

The food was great, the Park Alley Tavern & Banquet Room did a wonderful job at our recent seminar.

We look forward to meeting you at our upcoming event in Pickerington.

Online Registration … Revisited

Admin — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:39:21 +0000

We apologize for any difficulty you may have had this week trying to register for our Fall 2009 Continuing Education courses.

The online registration form is working again, so if you haven’t already, register now and join us for two full days of quality training.

We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Fall 2009 Continuing Education

Admin — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 01:46:52 +0000

Registration is open!

We are now accepting registration for our fall 2009 continuing education offerings. We are hosting two days of courses: September 25 and October 16 in Pickerington, Ohio.

Topics include wood wall framing, 2006 IECC energy conservation for commercial buildings, Elevators 101, Flood resistant construction, and general mechanical requirements.

Click here to download the event flyer for complete details.

Ohio BBS Approves OBCC Training

Admin — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:26:34 +0000

OBCC recently had the following courses approved for continuing education credits:

General Mechanical Requirements is a 3 hour course that will cover the general installation requirements for HVAC equipment and how to apply the appropriate code requirements from the OBC, OMC and RCO.

Wood Wall Framing is a 3 hour course that will provide an overview of the prescriptive requirements of the Residential Code of Ohio and the Ohio Building Code.

Flood Resistant Construction is a 1.5 hour course designed to help the code officials and inspectors determine if a flood hazard exists in their jurisdiction and how to apply the appropriate code requirements to the structural, electrical, and mechanical componets of the installation.

Electrical Considerations of the OBC,OMC, and RCO is a 2 hour course that will help cross over and multiple inspectors apply electrical provisions not found in the NEC while addressing firestopping concerns for electrical installations.

Elevators 101 is a 1.5 hour course that focuses on the structural, mechanical, and electrical code requirements for the design and installation of elevators.

2006 IECC Energy Conservation for 1,2, & 3 Family Dwellings is a 3 hour course that includes the OHIO provisions for residential energy conservation.

2006 IECC Energy Conservation for Commercial Buildings is a 3 hour course focusing on energy conservation for multi-family dwellings and other commercial applications.

Visit our Training page for more info as well as BBS course approval numbers.

5 Ways Building Codes Protect You and Your Family

Admin — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:55:13 +0000

Smoke Detectors

Building codes require smoke detectors in each bedroom and on each level of homes including basements to warn occupants of smoke and fire.

Stair Rails

Building codes address the size and spacing of ballisters and handrails to prevent children from falling or getting their heads stuck.

Emergency Escape and Rescue Openings

Building codes require bedrooms to have at least one emergency escape to the outside including bedrooms in basements.

Ground Fault and Arc Fault Circuit Interrrupters

Ground fault protected outlets (GFCI) protect you in wet locations such as bathrooms, kitchens, or outdoors. Arc fault protected circuits are required in bedrooms and as of January 1, 2009 in most other rooms in a residence to protect against faulty appliance cords from starting electrical fires.

Scald Protection

Building codes require anti- scalding or mixing valves in the shower to prevent burn injury.

Building Safety Week is Approaching

This year it is May 3-9, 2009. Building Safety week is promoted by the International Code Council to heighten public awareness of the importance of building codes and how they keep us safe in our everyday lives. To learn more about it visit www.buildingsafetyweek.org. There are brochures on a variety of topics including mold prevention and green building, that are free to download.

Recalled Compact Fluorescent Lighting Fixture

Admin — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:27:32 +0000

I recently received this via email from an associate. I doubt if there would be much of a residential market for these type of fixtures. They most likely would be used in a commercial application. If you would like to read the report, here you go. If you have an article that you would like to share with the code community or residential consumers, email me the link.