Tech Tools: BC Building Codes, roofing, alternative refrigerants

New building and plumbing codes came into effect in British Columbia on December 20, 2012. The British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines released the 2012 BC Building Code, the 2012 BC Fire Code and the 2012 BC Plumbing Code with the same objective-based format as the 2006 edition.

The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C. (APEGBC) is working with the architects’ association and the building officials’ association to present a series of seminars across the province covering the changes in the new codes.

A free “Illustrated Guide for Seismic Design of Houses – Lateral Bracing” explains new requirements in Part 9 of the BC Building Code for wood-frame buildings. Click here

The Canadian Roofing Contractors’ Association (CRCA) has a new roofing specification manual. The association has completely revamped the specifications in the manual, preenting the information in an easy-to-use format. It covers more than 30 roofing assembly specifications and has more than 175 detailed drawings. Click here.

The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) in the U.S. is conducting tests on the global warming potential of alternative refrigerants. In November it published three final test result reports for alternative refrigerants in residential heat pumps, water-cooled chillers and commercial ice machine applications. The refrigerants were tested and compared to baseline refrigerants, either R-410A or R-404A. Eleven tests are being done in total, and the results are being released by the AHRI Low-GWP AREP Technical Committee as they become available. Click here.