by Brianna Crandall — April 2, 2021 — Global building technology society ASHRAE and the International Code Council (ICC) have announced the release of the 2018 International Green Construction Code (IgCC) User’s Manual. The User’s Manual is a joint initiative of the ICC and ASHRAE. It supports green building design, construction and operations.
The User’s Manual was developed to provide an understanding of the principles on which the IgCC is based, including the requirements of the code, and how those requirements may be met. The publication contains sample calculations, forms to demonstrate compliance, and references to helpful resources and websites.
A whole system approach to the design, construction and operation of buildings, the 2018 International Green Construction Code (IgCC) contains measures that result in better indoor environments, lower impact on natural resources, better neighborhood connections, and improved walkability, according to ICC.
2020-21 ASHRAE President Charles E. Gulledge III, P.E., stated of the new IgCC User’s Manual:
ASHRAE remains committed to providing sustainability strategies to improve indoor air quality and building performance. The IgCC User’s Manual offers a clear roadmap to the specific requirements of the 2018 IgCC with provisions that promote sustainable construction in an integrated fashion.
Code Council Executive Vice President Mark Johnson remarked:
As the demand for green building design, construction and operational techniques continues to grow, the IgCC remains one of the many strong solutions that help communities establish sustainable, resilient, high-performance buildings. The new IgCC User’s Manual provides resources that aid the career development of building safety professionals, which is key to our efforts to welcome the next generation of industry leaders and lead the way to sustainable and resilient building.
The User’s Manual is intended to support building professionals, including architects, engineers, contractors and other building professionals applying the 2018 IgCC and is also suitable for use in educational programs. The publication offers a corresponding chapter for each chapter of the 2018 IgCC.
The 2018 IgCC was developed to align the technical requirements of ANSI/ASHRAE/ICC/USGBC/IES 189.1-2017-Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low Rise Residential Buildings with ICC’s multi-stakeholder IgCC. Goals of the code are to help governments streamline code development and adoption and improve building industry standardization by integrating the two previously separate guidance documents.
As a result, the 2018 IgCC is now a unified code that emphasizes adoption, ease of use and enforcement for building projects, points out ASHRAE. The code is the first fully integrated edition of the IgCC to be developed cooperatively by ICC and ASHRAE.
The 2018 IgCC User’s Manual is now available for preorder on the ICC website, and will be available early May.
