] [Thread] [Date] [Author]

[Roger Turk <73527.1356(--nospam--at)compuserve.com>]

Kris Hamilton asked:

. > Now, does anyone know or have any ideas how we go about changing the
. > situation?  Get all of our SEA's to set policies and write letters to 
. > ANSI, TPI, WTCA, ICBO, ICC, Florida State Board, and so on?

I wish that it was that simple!  Industry associations have representatives 
at *all* code committee hearings and I would venture to guess also have 
direct personal contacts with code committee members in their position as 
building officials.  Industry associations submit code changes to the 
building codes.  (Individuals and SE Associations also submit code changes, 
but the only SE Association that had been relatively successful in getting 
changes made was SEAOC in proposing changes to the UBC.)  When code changes 
are proposed that an association or individual disagrees with, that code 
change proposal has to be challenged and the challenger has to be at the code 
committee meeting hearing the challenge.  Time constraints are vicious.  
Proposed changes to the 2003 IBC were due last week.  How many engineers do 
you know that have the 2003 IBC and are thoroughly conversant with it, 
including the accumulative changes that were proposed in 2001, 2002, and the 
additional changes that made it into the 2003 IBC.

Whenever a representative of the WTC makes a presentation to an Arizona 
chapter of SEAOA, it ends up a near lynching, even when WTC has the local 
truss fabricators at the meeting for support.

If an engineer went out to a job site with only a gap gauge, I would bet that 
he/she could reject 50% of the plated wood trusses that are on site.

A. Roger Turk, P.E.(Structural)
Tucson, Arizona

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