APEC Building Codes, Regulations, and Standards Minimum, Mandatory and Green APPEC Sub‐committee on Standards and Conformance APPEC Committee on Trade and Investment Auugust 2013 APEC Project M CTI 02/2012A ‐ SCSC This publication was produced by Nathan Associates Inc. for review by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Produced For Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Secretariat 35 Heng Mui Keng Terrace Singapore 119616 Tel: (65) 68919 600 Fax: (65) 68919 690 Email: [email protected] Website: www.apec.org © 2013 APEC Secretariat APEC#213‐CT‐01.8 APEC Building Codes, Regulations, and Standards Minimum, Mandatory, and Green DISCLAIMER This document is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Its contents are the sole responsibility of the author or authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States government. Acknowledgements The author of this report is Dr. Oswald Chong with contributions by Sylvana Ricciarini. The report was prepared for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) organization as part of the APEC Technical Assistance and Training Facility (TATF) program. APEC TATF is managed by USAID, with funding and strategic direction provided by the U.S. State Department Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Office of Economic Policy. For further information, please contact Ms. Victoria Waite, Chief of Party, [email protected]. TECHNICAL ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE STUDY The following experts helped to shape this study: Alberto Herrera, International Code Council Cary Bloyd, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Derek Greenauer, Underwriters Laboratories Guiliana Orrezoli Alvarez, Direccion Nacional de Construccion, Peru James Olshefsky, ASTM International Jessica Roop, American National Standards Institute Joanne Littlefair, U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration Len Swatkowski, Plumbing Manufacturers International Maggie Comstock, US Green Building Council Maureen Guttman, Alliance to Save Energy Nancy McNabb, National Institute of Standards and Technology Pete DeMarco, IAPMO Renee Hancher, U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration Ryan Colker, National Institute of Building Sciences Shelley Pursell, Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute Sylvana Ricciarini, Civil Engineer, MSCE, Codes and Conformity Assessment Expert Contents Executive Summary 1 Table 1A/B. APEC Economies’ Minimum and/or Mandatory Codes 8 Table 2. Status of Green Building Codes in APEC Economies 16 Table 3. Status of Mandatory Building Codes in APEC Economies 19 Table 4. Regulatory Frameworks in APEC Economies 27 APEC Economy Reports 33 Australia 35 Brunei Darussalam 43 Canada 49 Chile 57 People’s Republic of China 65 Hong Kong China 75 Indonesia 85 Japan 95 Republic of Korea 101 Malaysia 109 Mexico 117 New Zealand 129 Peru 137 Philippines 147 Singapore 153 Chinese Taipei 165 Thailand 171 United States 179 Vietnam 179 Bibliography 203 Executive Summary OBJECTIVES This study was developed for the purpose of understanding how APEC member economies utilized building codes to increase building performance, aligning with the “green” goals of resource conservation and waste reduction. Building codes historically have been important policy tools for managing the safety, security, health, environment, and economy of the building sector. They also are regulatory tools for improving the performance of buildings and building professionals. Because buildings are responsible for a high percentage of materials consumption; greenhouse gas; and other emissions, regulation of the building sector offers a prime opportunity for economies to pursue resource conservation and waste reduction objectives. Building codes also provide policymakers with an important tool to encourage economic growth and conduct risk management. This study is organized with a chapter devoted to each APEC member economy, which seeks to detail: . The approach to developing, adopting, administering and enforcing building codes. This includes, for non-residential buildings, the existing minimum building codes, including the types of buildings covered, adoption and evolution, key actors and processes, points of accountability, enforcement mechanisms, and main expression of criteria. How existing codes establish minimums for key elements. Such elements include electrical, energy, water, sanitation, structural, mechanical, indoor air quality, security, safety, siting, and others. Any existing “green” building codes. This includes elements of the minimum code that already are stringent and may be considered “green,” as well as any stand-alone green building code. Protocols and mechanisms in place for monitoring, review, and assessment. RESEARCH BASIS Terminology related to building regulation differs among the APEC member economies. For the purposes of this study, “building code” refers a set of rules that specify a minimum level of requirements for non-residential building construction and occupancy/operation and which meet the following criteria: (i) requirements are adopted and/or enforced by, or on behalf of, a government entity; (ii) criteria are written in mandatory language; (iii) the minimum criteria are mandatory, while requirements above the minimum may be voluntary, mandatory for certain recognitions, or mandatory for a specific population of buildings; and (iv) there is use of referenced standards. E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y | 2 In completing this study, the author conducted independent research to develop information responsive to the objectives. Each APEC member economy was then provided with a draft of the economy-specific chapter and requested to provide comment or clarification. The final study reflects all feedback provided to the author during that comment period. The study also reflects expertise provided by APEC member economy representatives and building industry professionals who participated in the March 5-7, 2013 workshop, Sharing Experiences in the Design and Implementation of Green Building Codes, a joint APEC-ASEAN workshop hosted by Peru in Lima, Peru. KEY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS This Executive Summary expands upon four key findings, which are further elaborated in the economy- specific chapters. Multiple pathways support greener building code development in APEC economies. Economies have successfully evolved greener codes to increase building performance utilizing different approaches that fit the economy’s specific approach to regulation and engagement of non-governmental entities. There are strong commonalities in target areas for greening. Common building elements targeted for performance improvement through building codes include energy efficiency, water efficiency, indoor air quality, light pollution, land use, environmental protection, and storm water management. Relevant international reference standards exist, supporting all code approaches. Regardless of the pathway chosen, international reference standards already exist for many green elements. Such standards can be important mechanisms for efficiently establishing greener code requirements that reflect consensus technical and procedural solutions to common challenges. Use of existing, relevant international standards can also reduce unnecessary obstacles to trade in building products. Embracing established best practices in building codes becomes increasingly important. As economies move to make codes greener, new and rapidly changing technologies and processes present new complexities and challenges. Specific best practices are detailed on pages 6-7. APPROACHES TO BUILDING CODES APEC member economies rely on three fundamental approaches to developing, adopting, administering and enforcing building codes. Approach Details Model Code Developed This approach utilizes model codes developed and administered by Separate from Building private organizations and quasi-governmental agencies. Jurisdictions Regulations have independent responsibility for developing and adopting building codes, and model codes offer an efficient way of doing so. The jurisdictions also manage building code enforcement, including inspection and permit issuance. In such a system, code enforcement officials, building sector E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y | 3 professionals affected by the codes, academics and others participate in code development. Model codes are updated every three to five years. Reference standards are developed by separate organizations. Australia, Canada, and the United States follow this system. Model Code Developed A national regulatory system is the most common among APEC Alongside Building economies, with variations coming in the degree of freedom regional Regulations by the (local) governments have in modifying, adopting, and enforcing Government. regulations. In China and Indonesia, the central government develops regulations and codes and local governments may freely adopt or reject the codes and regulations. In Chile, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Korea, Peru, and Vietnam, local governments have little to no authority to modify codes and regulations. Regulations Specify Use of Under this approach, building regulations are developed and enforced Best Practices and Standards by the government. But Allow Equivalents. This approach is utilized in Brunei Darussalam, Hong Kong, China, and Singapore. The regulations allow the use of nonlocal codes, standards, and best practices in place of local