Code Acceptance of Unique Building Materials and Systems

Inadequate building codes and the lack of standard provisions lead to resistance to new or unique building materials and systems, or both. The model codes organizations and design professionals can alleviate this situation by providing performance oriented codes and standards by which the product can be tested and evaluated for compliance. Model code organizations would develop an evaluation procedure for new products which provides the building official and manufacturer with a uniform and widely recognized basis for acceptance of new products. The manufacturer submits the product to the organization for its review and evaluation. The staff determines if the product conforms to accepted engineering practice or has been properly tested to indicate conformance to the code. A technical report is issued describing the new system, the information and tests submitted, and the recommended usage. An in-plant inspection service is provided for factory systems to assure conformance to the approved product.