Dwight Wells MTU Onsite Energy

Powering up after a disaster

The International Building Code (IBC) is a comprehensive set of building standards that was first proposed in 1997 by the International Code Council (ICC) and adopted in 2000. The IBC sought to harmonize the many national, state, and local codes that govern the design of structures in an effort to eliminate duplicative or conflicting standards and, therefore, make compliance more uniform. The IBC has been updated on a three-year cycle; the latest version is IBC-2009. Currently, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have adopted version IBC-2000, IBC-2003, IBC-2006, or IBC-2009 as their de facto building code. While the main focus of the IBC is structural integrity and fire prevention, certain provisions govern the certification and installation of emergency standby power systems used in locations that are seismically active or are subject to high wind loading of up to 150 mph.