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SWA Staff Selected to Participate in Revision of NYC Construction Codes

November 15, 2017

Steven Winter Associates, Inc. (SWA) is pleased to announce the selection of staff members to aid in the revision of the New York City Construction Codes. The Department of Buildings (DOB) has selected SWA’s Jason Block, Harold Bravo, and Mark Jackson to participate in three of the eight technical committees responsible for the revision.

NYC Code Revision

The code revision process takes place every three years and is part of a requirement to meet the latest model codes set by the International Code Council (I-Codes). To aid the process, NYC’s DOB has organized a series of committees to review the technical and administrative provisions of the codes. Applications were solicited from a broad spectrum of experts and stakeholders to ensure code revisions are inclusive and well-rounded.

For the 2017 revision cycle, there are eight Technical Committees and five Advisory Committees responsible for developing and renewing amendments to specific chapters of the City’s Construction Codes. Once completed, all revisions to the Construction Codes must be incorporated into a local law to be approved by the New York City Council and signed into law by the Mayor.

According to the NYC Code Revision Handbook, the Construction Code Revision Cycle is primarily intended to “introduce measures to update to the 2015 I-Codes with New York City modifications; adopt innovative new technologies by incorporating the latest national standards; improve construction safety; clarify the existing text; and to correct errors, typos and inconsistencies.”

The Committees

Each committee is responsible for a different subset of the code based on subject matter and expertise. Depending on the complexity of the material, committees mostly consist of 20-25 members, all of whom are volunteers. The eight Technical Committees for the 2017 revision cycle include Accessibility; Construction Requirements and Materials; Elevators and Conveyors; Fire Protection Systems; Mechanical, HVAC and Boilers; Plumbing; Structural; and Use, Occupancy Classification, and Egress.

SWA’s Deputy Director of Multifamily Energy Services, Jason Block, will be serving on the Mechanical Committee; Senior Accessibility Consultant, Harold Bravo, will be serving on the Accessibility Committee; and Senior Accessibility Consultant and Manager of Commercial Building Services, Mark Jackson, will be serving on the Use, Occupancy Classification and Egress Committee.

Impact of Construction Codes

NYC Construction Codes protect public health, safety, general welfare, and the environment by establishing minimum standards for the design, construction, and occupancy of buildings. SWA is proud to contribute expertise necessary to impact the City’s design and construction standards for years to come.

For more information on the 2017 Construction Codes Revision Cycle, click here, or visit our website at swinter.com to learn more about how SWA is improving the built environment.