The potential for slashing plan-review and approval time for “replicable” commercial buildings is increasing, thanks to the publication of a road map for code-compliance review. The guideline’s tenets, intended to streamline the approval process by bundling reviews of project prototypes and eliminating repetitive reviews, already have been applied successfully in Philadelphia.
The International Code Council’s ICC G1-2010 Guideline for Replicable Buildings, published on Sept. 15, is targeted at state and local building officials. But it also is meant for owners with many similar projects, such as retail, restaurant and hotel chains, and their architects, engineers and builders.