Regulatory Streamlining

Technology exists to make it possible to develop an automated code checking tool for building officials in the United States.

Phase I of the AutoCodes project set out to identify whether modern technology could be successfully applied to speed and bring about greater consistency in the review and approval of building plans against adopted model codes in the United States. Working with local jurisdictions the project demonstrated that 3D electronic plan review for building access and egress was feasible.

The biggest barrier to technology application to plan review is the lack of consistency in code interpretation by building officials, which must be addressed to advance automated code checking technology. Phase I brought together local building officials from 14 different building departments from across the nation and identified significant diversity in understanding and interpreting the access and egress provisions of the adopted building codes. To address this problem, uniform education and training of code officials to prepare for and use electronic plan review tools and 3D plan review was deemed possible. A prototype course was created and conducted in Phase II (E6-4).

There are no other automated plan checking tools under development and a prototype of an Owners BIM Guideline and Protocol using a Minimum Modeling Matrix (M3) for access and egress could be created as a base for such a tool (Phase II). The basis for building an automated 3D code checking tool of BIM models was successfully constructed and demonstrated for access an egress provisions of a state architectural accessibility and egress codes.

Phase III of the AutoCodes Project demonstrated the feasibility of applying a model based code compliance check on the State of California’s Office of State Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) projects for architectural accessibility and egress (Final Report) (E6-2).

Replicable buildings are residential and commercial structures which are designed and constructed exactly the same, using the same materials and for the same occupancy use. A single plan review can serve as the approved plan review for all other replicable structures to be built and sited in the same jurisdiction. In states with preemptive mandatory minimum construction codes, that can be anywhere within that state (E6-6).

Increasingly AEC firms are employing fully electronic processes. Digital Signatures play an important role in reducing the time and costs associated with reviews and approvals of construction designs for buildings and plants. Firms employing digital signatures have achieved as much as 50% savings in signing time costs (E6-1).