Building Construction

Name: Darlene Worden

Class: Building Construction

Section: Unit 3

Date: 9-13-2010

The codes and regulations that are associated with building construction projects include but are not limited to building codes, fire codes, plumbing, mechanical and electrical codes, zoning regulations, insurance regulations, Americans with Disabilities Act, and construction safety regulations.

Building codes regulate the actual design and construction of new buildings. The building code is what regulates the level and amount of fire protection. Fire codes regulate the activities allowed to take place in existing buildings including maintenance of existing fire protection features like sprinklers and fire doors. Fire code is what most firefighters will have experience using. (Brannigan, 2008, p. 47).

Plumbing codes apply to installation of water systems and sanitary systems. Mechanical codes apply to HVAC systems and smoke control systems. The installation of electrical systems is covered by electrical codes.

Zoning regulations are written by each city and determine the usage of land within that city, these laws regulate what areas are residential, industrial or other. The regulations tend to push more hazards occupancies into certain areas of the city. (Brannigan, 2008, p. 47).

The Americans with Disabilities Act passed a set of regulations in 1990 that include the requirement to make “areas of refuge” available for disabled people in multistory buildings, this is important to firefigthers in the rescuing of these disabled people. (Brannigan, 2008, p 47).

Some insurance companies may require tougher regulations than the local building and fire codes. the construction safety regulations can be very helpful to firefighters, these regulations apply to construction sites and some include fall prevention, and protection from being hit or crushed. (Brannigan, 2008, p 47).

New construction projects...