Update: New 2012 BC Building Code and 2012 BC Fire Code

The 2012 BC Building Code and 2012 BC Fire Code will come into effect December 20, 2012. With that in mind, a working group with representation from the AIBC, the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC, the Building Officials Association of BC, the Plumbing Officials Association of BC and the BC Building & Safety Standards Branch will be presenting a series of 10 seminars throughout the province to introduce and highlight the significant changes found in the 2012 British Columbia Building Code. These one-day seminars will include a general administrative overview of the building code, changes to Part 3 and Part 9, as well as Part 7 (plumbing) changes. Sessions are scheduled from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the following locations:

Richmond                           November 22 -23, 2012, Vancouver Marriott Hotel *

Nanaimo                                November 27, 2012, Vancouver Island Conference Center

Victoria                                  November 29, 2012, Marriott Victoria Inner Harbour

Burnaby                                 November 30, 2012, City of Burnaby, Council Chambers

Kelowna                                December 4, 2012, Delta Grand Okanagan

Kamloops                              December 5, 2012, Best Western

Prince George                     December 10, 2012, Coast Inn of the North

Nelson                                    December 12, 2012, The Prestige Lakeside Resort

Abbotsford                           December 14, 2012, Matsqui Centennial Auditorium

Cranbrook                             December 17, 2012, Heritage Inn

* The Richmond session is part of a two-day BOABC Education Seminar with additional Friday programming that includes:

• Standards for Windows Referenced in the 2012 BC Building Code, presented by the Window and Door Manufacturers Association of British Columbia;
• 2013 British Columbia Energy Regulations, presented by theEnergy Efficiency Branch of the BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Natural Gas;
• Alternate Solutions Panel, a discussion of the intent, requirements and liability (or lack thereof), associated with alternate solutions in B.C.;
• Criteria for Building Department Accreditation in British Columbia, as explained by BOABC representatives.

Online registration for these seminars is now available at www.boabc.org. They are expected to fill up quickly, so it is advisable to register early. Registration for the Richmond Education Seminar has already reached 75% capacity. In addition, the Burnaby event on November 30, 2012 is 90% full. If you are planning to attend either of these locations, please fax (604-270-9488) or e-mail (jennifer@boabc.org) your completed registration form as soon as possible to reserve a spot.

Note: printed presentation material will not be provided at these seminars, as was done in 2006. However, the Powerpoint presentations to be used will be available for viewing and downloading from the BOABC website by November 16, 2012. Participants are encouraged to bring a copy of these presentations to the seminar or download the information to your laptop. Also, The Illustrated Guide for Seismic Design of Houses  – BCBC 2012 is now available through both the BOABC website and the Homeowners Protection Office website (www.hpo.bc.ca). Participants are advised to study this reference document prior to attending a code change seminar.

While copies of the 2012 BC Building Code and 2012 BC Fire Code are not yet available through the Queen’s Printer, keen practitioners can contact www.bccodes.ca to be put on a notification list for when they are available. Online access is expected prior to the printed version. Note: the 2012 BC Building Code will not include major changes in parts 5, 9 or 10 with respect to resource conservation (energy and water); however, further revisions in these areas is expected for 2013.

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