Modern Residential Construction Practices

David A. Madsen, David P. Madsen

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781351978392
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Architecture
• Subtopic: Architecture General

Modern Residential Construction Practices provides easy-to-read, comprehensive and highly illustrated coverage of residential building construction practices that conform to industry standards in the United States and Canada.

Each chapter provides complete descriptions, real-world practices, realistic examples, three-dimensional (3D) illustrations, and related tests and problems. Chapters cover practices related to every construction phase including: planning, funding, permitting, codes, inspections, site planning, excavation, foundations and flatwork, floors, walls, roofs, finish work and cabinetry; heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC); electrical, and plumbing. The book is organized in a format that is consistent with the process used to take residential construction projects from preliminary concept through all phases of residential building construction.

An ideal textbook for secondary and college level construction programs, the book is packed with useful features such as problems that challenge students to identify materials and practices, along with research and document information about construction materials and practices, useful summaries, key notes, a detailed glossary, and online materials for both students and educators.

Chapter 1

Introduction to building codes and the preliminary construction process

Learning objectives

After studying this chapter, you will be able to:

• ▶Explain the basic fundamentals and terminology of residential building codes.
• ▶Discuss the responsibilities of a licensed Registered Architect (RA), Professional Engineer (PE), and General Contractor (GC).
• ▶Describe the process for obtaining a building permit.
• ▶Explain zoning.
• ▶Discuss private restrictions including deed restrictions; and covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs).
• ▶Describe the different ways to create home plans.
• ▶Discuss the option of being a homeowner general contractor.
• ▶Explain the responsibilities and licensing requirements of a general contractor and subcontractors.
• ▶Define construction loan and describe the construction loan process.
• ▶Find a description of materials form and start filling out the basic introductory information.
• ▶Identify a typical cost estimate format for residential construction.
• ▶Give an example of a typical inspection schedule for residential construction.
• ▶Identify voluntary inspections and tests that can be performed on a residential construction project.
• ▶Create PowerPoint presentations related to building codes and preliminary construction processes.
• ▶Answer questions related to building codes and preliminary construction processes.

Introduction

This chapter covers the wide range of activities involved before actual building construction can start. An important part of building a new home or home remodeling project is knowledge of building codes. Building codes are required laws that are intended to protect public safety by establishing minimum design and construction standards. There is also a variety of administrative activities that take place prior to and during the construction process that are important for you to learn.

Note

Modern Residential Construction Practices provides easy-to-read, comprehensive and highly illustrated coverage of residential building construction practices that conform to industry standards. Each chapter provides comprehensive descriptions, real-world practices, realistic examples, three-dimensional (3D) illustrations, and related tests and problems. The examples illustrate typical construction practices used throughout the United States and Canada. Chapter 1 has content that covers information that you can learn about building codes, along with preliminary and construction-related administrative activities used in residential building construction. This chapter is highly text concentrated with few figures needed to support the content. For this reason, instructors and students who want their learning sequence to cover every aspect of building construction should start by studying Chapter 1 and then move on to the following chapters. Instructors and students who want to move quickly to building construction-related content can skip Chapter 1 and go directly to Chapter 2. It is still recommended that you return to Chapter 1 and review or carefully study the important content at a later time.

Introduction to building codes

Building codes are required laws that are intended to protect public safety by establishing minimum design and construction standards. Residential building codes apply to single and multifamily housing and home remodeling projects and protect the public in the areas of fire and life safety. Construction elements governed by building codes include structural, fire, energy, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, ventilation, and accessibility. Building codes used in the United States are generally those developed by the International Code Council (ICC), but the adopted building codes can vary by state, county, city, borough, or town. Some states have their own set of building codes that are based on the ICC with changes that contain local laws and regulations, while most states have adopted the standard ICC series of codes. Contact your local building department before starting a design or construction project to determine which codes are used and how they affect your project. Begin this research by calling the local government body that has jurisdiction over the property where you plan to build. The local official can provide you with specific information about which building codes are currently used in your area, and any changes that have been adopted by the local jurisdiction. The term jurisdiction refers to the city, county, or state location where the official authority exists to make legal decisions and judgments. You may also be required to follow state or federal guidelines based on specific project conditions such as environmental issues.

Note

Building regulations in the United States have historically been based on the codes developed by three regional code development groups. The Building Officials Code Administration (BOCA) developed codes for the east coast, the International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) developed codes for the west, and the Southern Building Code Congress (SBCC) developed codes for the south. Understanding the need for a coordinated set of model building codes, the three regulatory bodies formed the International Code Council (ICC) in 1994.

The components of the ICC code series include the following:

• ▶International Building Code
• ▶International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings
• ▶International Mechanical Code
• ▶International Plumbing Code
• ▶International Fire Code
• ▶International Fuel Gas Code
• ▶International Energy Conservation Code
• ▶International Existing Building Code
• ▶International Wildland-Urban Interface Code
• ▶ICC Performance Code for Buildings and Facilities
• ▶International Property Maintenance Code
• ▶International Zoning Code
• ▶International Private Sewage Disposal Code
• ▶International Green Construction Code
• ▶International Swimming Pool and Spa Code

Creating the codes

The ICC develops construction and public safety codes through a governmental consensus process that results in general agreement among the participants. The governmental consensus process leaves the final determination of code provisions in the hands of public safety officials who can legally represent the public interest with no vested financial interest.

Q&A

Codes change constantly. Typically, a new ICC code version is adopted every three years, and minor code changes are adopted between code versions. Additionally, local jurisdictions modify building codes periodically to provide for local practices and regulations.

Q: Is it possible to design a house that would meet all ICC code series requirements everywhere in the U.S.?

A: Codes deal with a number of design and construction issues that are dependent on geographical climatic factors. For example, a design might need to withstand heavy snow loads in one location, or tropical winds in another location. Energy needs make heating the main challenge in some locations and cooling in others. Also, the use of many building materials vary by region. For example, Southern Pine is an excellent and readily available material in the east, and Douglas fir is a common construction component in the west. While it is theoretically possible to design a house to withstand the earthquakes of southern California, the snow drifts of Vermont, the hurricanes of Florida, the tornadoes of Kansas, meet the heating requirements of North Dakota and cooling requirements of Texas, and be made of a material that can be shipped anywhere it is needed, the resulting house would be extremely expensive and needlessly over-designed.

PowerPoint

Create two PowerPoint slides containing a building codes definition, identification of the ICC, and a list of at least five international codes that you feel are related to residential construction.

Note

Building codes are comprehensive and detailed, and local codes can vary from the international codes. A complete examination of codes is beyond the scope of this textbook. You should consider studying local and national building codes, or taking codes courses that may be offered at your local trade schools, community colleges, or local jurisdictions.

Many jurisdictions require parts of, or the entire set of, building plans prepared and submitted by a State licensed Registered Architect (RA), or Professional Engineer (PE). The term plans refers to the complete set of drawings needed to build a home. The elements of a set of plans are described in detail in Chapter 3, Drawings and Specifications. An RA is a person trained in the planning, design, and oversight of the construction of buildings, and is licensed to practice architecture in a specific state or states where they pass rigorous qualifications. A PE is an engineer who is registered or licensed within a specific state or states where they pass rigorous qualifications needed to offer professional services directly to the public. A PE is generally licensed in one or more specific disciplines, such as a structural engineer who performs the engineering on the building structure, or civil engineer who does earth-related engineering. When the local jurisdiction does not require an RA or PE to design and submit the entire set of plans, you should be sure to select a building designer with extensive building code knowledge, a history of successful projects, and possibly even certification through the American Institute of Building Design (AIBD). Many jurisdictions require wind and seismic calculations to be performed and stamped by an RA or PE, even though full stamped...