Members of the International Code Council are all over the map about the revamped model code development process announced by the publisher of the widely adopted International Building Code and a dozen other model codes. Many greet the change with open arms, saying it will streamline the process. Others think the new process will stifle innovation, reduce the quality of the codes and allow special interests to more easily hijack the development process.
The biggest change is that there will be one complete code development cycle every three years instead of two. A consequence of that is elimination of the interim supplement, published 18 months after the “I-Codes.” Tom Frost, senior vice president, technical services, in the Country Club Hills, Ill., office of ICC, says, “The supplement was published as a convenience for participants to keep track of the code's evolution. It was rare for jurisdictions to adopt it.”