A constant reminder of our role in disaster mitigation    
  What a year! From floods to hurricanes to earthquakes, our world has taken its share of hits. For those of us in the building industry, it's a constant reminder of our critical role in preventing and reducing damage from catastrophes such as these. We can build better structures, enforce tighter codes and, yes, find and implement innovative building products that withstand the forces of nature and protect the public.
Our job at ICC-ES is to help you, the building professional, assess and/or incorporate these products with confidence.
In the last year, we've dedicated numerous hours to the study of several hundred new and refined products. Some passed our rigorous evaluation processes, others did not, and those		 manufacturers are diligently working to meet our high standards.
As we move into 2006, one of our major focus areas will be the reorganization of our data review procedures to improve "turn-around" time for those applicants that organize their submittals as opposed to "data dumps." As you'll see in the following newsletter, our activities touch every facet of these new products — from public hearings about product viability to the issue of liability in a litigious society.
The world is changing fast. Our job is to move just as quickly so that you can continue to ensure and protect our global friends, families and neighbors with safer homes and businesses-regardless of Mother Nature's surprises.
I wish you the best in this New Year and hope to see you all at an ICC-ES event soon.		 John Nosse

ICC-ES President
John Nosse
 
 
 
 

In this issue:

 Evaluation Committee going West
 ICC-ES Acceptance Criteria
 ICC-ES Evaluation Committee Birmingham Report
 The state of concrete anchors
 WFTAO meeting in California
 ICC-ES committees want you
 Applying for an Evaluation Report
 Finding Evaluation Reports
 GlobalOptions Group agrees to acquire James Lee Witt Associates

WFTAO meeting in
California
The World Federation of Technical Assessment Organizations (WFTAO) WFTAOwill hold its 2006 Annual Meeting Nov. 1-3 in Pasadena, California.
Hosted by ICC-ES and the International Accreditation Service (IAS), the 2006 meeting will highlight the ICC-ES process for technical recognition of building products in the U.S. A full-day session will be dedicated to U.S. speakers representing manufacturers, consultants, testing laboratories, inspection agencies and code officials involved in this process. These presentations will be open to the public to allow WFTAO members and interested parties to exchange information.
Composed of technical assessment organizations from 21 countries throughout the world, WFTAO membership forms a network of cooperative organizations seeking to minimize technical barriers to trade on building products through improved communication and information exchange.
A call for U.S. presenters to speak at this session will be posted early in 2006.


ES Report

Applying for an
Evaluation Report
To apply for an evaluation report on your building product, click here.

Finding Evaluation Reports
To determine if a product or manufacturer has an evaluation report, click here.

ICC-ES Evaluation Committee
2006 Meetings Schedule
Feb. 1-3, 2006
Los Angeles, CA

May 31-June 2, 2006
Chicago, IL

Oct. 4-6, 2006
Birmingham, AL

For more information, click here.

ICC-ES

ICC Evaluation Service,
Inc.

Ensuring that building products
meet code requirements.

ICC-ES eNews
January 2006
Vol. 2, Issue 1

How to reach us

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Evaluation Committee going West
ICC-ES Committee Meeting
The upcoming ICC Evaluation Service, Inc. (ICC-ES) Evaluation Committee meeting in Los Angeles, California, Feb. 1-3, 2006, promises to be a busy event with discussions about a wide range of topics — from new criteria for patio covers to the ongoing discussion about acceptance standards for steel deck and roof systems.
During this three-day event, the 10-member ICC-ES Evaluation Committee will moderate discussions with manufacturers, consultants, testing laboratory representatives, building material representatives and others about code criteria for some of the industry's most innovative new products.
There are currently 25 new or refined products on the proposed agenda. For more information, click here.

ICC-ES acceptance criteria
The code officials’ building product recognition process is changing.
In past years, recognized listing agencies have provided a needed service on products covered by standards referenced in building codes. In recent months, there has been an extension of this as testing laboratories and a listing agency have begun listing to ICC-ES acceptance criteria. However, ICC-ES cautions code officials and others about relying on these listings when it comes to building product recognition.
The acceptance criteria are developed to address innovative building products not addressed by codes, or to more evaluation reports. Application of the criteria by ICC-ES is done to ensure an independent review of product data generated by others. For more information, click here.

ICC-ES Evaluation Committee
Birmingham Report
ICC-ES Evaluation Committee
The ICC-ES Evaluation Committee met in Birmingham, Alabama, on Oct. 12-14, 2005, to consider new acceptance criteria and revisions to existing criteria. Acceptance criteria are used by
ICC-ES to establish technical requirements for ICC-ES evaluation reports when there are no requirements in the code, or when additional information is needed to supplement the requirements that are in the code.
The acceptance criteria approved by the Evaluation Committee are available for download from the ICC-ES Web site by clicking here. A step-by-step description of the Evaluation Committee hearing process is available for download from the ICC-ES Web site by clicking here.

The state of concrete anchors
The coming year will bring major changes in evaluation reports on concrete anchors. New acceptance criteria have been approved by the ICC-ES Evaluation Committee for mechanical anchors (AC193) and adhesive anchors (AC308). AC193 recently added requirements for screw anchors. AC193 and AC308 replace acceptance criteria that were used by ICC-ES in evaluating products under the 2000 International Building Code (IBC) and 1997 Uniform Building Code, including AC01, AC58 and AC106.
The new criteria address the requirements of Section 1913 of the 2003 International Building Code (IBC) pertaining to anchorage to concrete. ICC-ES has established deadlines for evaluation reports on concrete anchors to transition to the new criteria. Click here for more information.
Evaluation report holders on concrete anchors must submit their data for compliance with the new acceptance criteria by July 1, 2006, to ensure a timely transition under the new criteria.

ICC-ES committees want you
If you are an expert in the building codes and understand the process of product assessment, then the ICC-ES Industry Advisory Committee or Evaluation Committee could be the place for you.
ICC-ES is seeking candidates who are active participants in its process to serve on its Industry Advisory Committee. This 20-member committee advises ICC-ES on communications issues, customer service and cooperative efforts with government and industry. Members will be appointed for a one-year term by the Board of Directors in March 2006.
The ICC Evaluation Service is also seeking code officials interested in serving on the Evaluation Committee. It offers the opportunity to inject the needs of the regulatory agency while working with national and international experts. Members will be appointed for an 18-month term, effective July 1, 2006.
Requests for appointment to either the Industry Advisory Committee or the Evaluation Committee must be filed by Feb. 10, 2006. For more information, click here.

GlobalOptions Group agrees to acquire James Lee Witt Associates
James Lee Witt
ICC CEO
James Lee Witt Associates (JLWA), a crisis and emergency management consulting firm founded in 2001 by ICC CEO James Lee Witt, is being purchased by GlobalOptions Group, Inc., a leading provider in domestic and international risk management services. Once the acquisition is completed, GlobalOptions will have offices in ten states and the District of Columbia.
"This is an exciting opportunity for JLWA to build on our successes over the past five years," said Witt, who also serves as Chairman and CEO of JLWA. “We will be able to offer our clients more services and we are joining an organization with a growth strategy that will further expand services and resources to offer our clients.
"Eventually, I will be required to devote 100 percent of my time to the new endeavor,” Witt continued. “In the meantime, I will continue to serve as the CEO of ICC and will work with you, our members and stakeholders, over the coming months on a transition that takes into consideration your priorities and the well-being of ICC. As always, it is a pleasure to serve ICC and I look forward to continuing our work together."
“James Lee is to be commended for his exemplary leadership of ICC over the past two and one-half years,” ICC Chief Operating Officer Rick Weiland said. “His dedication to saving lives and protecting property before and during times of disasters is unparalleled. We wish James Lee and Lea Ellen the very best.”
For more information on the GlobalOptions acquisition of JLWA, click here.

 
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