Reviews & Previews         

GICC Code Cycle Efforts Underway
The Glazing Industry Code Committee (GICC) met in Baltimore in August to begin focusing on the 2009 code cycle. Members considered a number of code change proposals and discussed potential areas of involvement.

“[GICC] plays a critical role in representing the fenestration industry in the continued development of important codes including the International Building and International Energy Conservation Codes,” said Greg Carney, technical director for the Glass Association of North America and president and chairman of the GICC board of directors. “Our recent meeting was the beginning of the planning process for the next code cycle and is a vital part of GICC’s involvement in the building code process.”

With all code change proposals now submitted, the International Code Council is making plans to release a compendium of all proposals on December 18, 2007. The GICC will meet shortly thereafter to discuss actual proposals and to develop its plan of action.GICC plans to hold its next meeting January 16-18, 2008, in New Orleans. www.glazingcodes.org

BEMA Covers Design and Installation During Membership Meeting
Members of the Bath Enclosure Manufacturers Association (BEMA) considered an ASTM draft standard on bath enclosures during the September membership meeting in Atlanta. According to Doug Powell of Coral Industries, “strong differences in opinion have delayed the process.” However, BEMA is approaching the final steps in developing a template for an ASTM standard. According to the discussion at the meeting, the group's approach toward creating a consensus standard is quite different from the approach taken by the Americas' Glass Association, which, Powell said, is aiming to write a standard into the code. 

According to BEMA members, creating an ASTM standard will keep the standard flexible and easy to change, whereas changing the code to allow for new products and technology is a process that takes some time. The BEMA standards committee stressed their interest in creating a standard that allows for marketplace innovation, with the idea that an ASTM standard would also provide for both associations’ goals of safe installation. www.bathenclosures.org

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