VICTORIA — The Province of British Columbia has adopted the 2018 edition of the British Columbia Building Code which includes Book II Plumbing Services (BC Building and Plumbing Code).
The new BC Building and Plumbing Code will be effective as of Dec. 10 and applies to building permits applied for on or after that date. The BC Fire Code is expected to be adopted in the fall and also effective as of Dec. 10.
The BC Building and Plumbing Code is primarily based on the model of the National Building and Plumbing Codes of Canada, which adopted 600 technical changes in 2015.
Some of the new requirements of the National Code are updates to airborne sound transmission ratings, climactic data and seismic design, and updates to stairs, ramps, handrails and guards.
The 2018 BC Building and Plumbing Code includes most 2015 National Code requirements but also contains variations on those rules specific to British Columbia.
Variations include improving energy efficiency of buildings to comply with new energy codes and standards, increasing accessibility for those with disabilities, updating radon data and providing a variation to National Building Code requirements for mid-rise buildings to requite 10 per cent street frontage and exterior cladding with increased fire resistance.
The 2018 BC Building and Plumbing Code website is online and contains a summary of changes, a general technical bulletin, an accessibility bulletin and a mid-rise combustible construction bulletin.
The online version of the code will be available for purchase in the coming weeks at www.bccodes.ca, with the print version available at a later date.
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