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Building controls
A code based on scienti c data
New Zealand’s Building Code can trace part of its history back to the US small dwelling code published in 1922. This was the rst nationally developed US building code and probably the rst anywhere to explore going beyond minimum standards.
BY NIGEL ISAACS, SENIOR LECTURER, SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF WELLINGTON
IN APRIL 1920, following the impact of World War I, the US Senate established a Select Committee on Reconstruction and Production. It held hearings in 13 cities over 37 days, presenting a 61-page summary report in March 1921 (with 2,360 pages of appendices) and concluding:
‘The building codes of the country have not been developed upon scientific data, but rather on compromises; they are not uniform in principle and in many instances involve an addi- tional cost of construction without assuring more useful or more durable buildings.’
Demand for building code
Soon after, a Division of Building and Housing was established in the National Bureau of Standards with its rst task to create such a code. The demand was impressive – of all the US cities with populations over 5,000, 25% lacked
a building code or inspector, and of these, half had populations over 10,000.
1932 edition of the US building code.
In 1920, Herbert Hoover was appointed Secretary of Commerce. A focus of his tenure was on improving produc- tivity through fair competition. This included developing the legislative framework leading to the modern Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Aviation Authority and standardisation of a range of products, including building materials, like brick
and timber sizes.
Building Code Committee established
By May 1921, Hoover had established a Building Code Committee (BCC) and appointed the chair and six members. The chair was a consulting re engineer, while the committee included three engineers, two architects and the New York City Superintendent of Buildings (the person in charge of administering the New York City building code).
Averaging 54 years of age, the members were well experienced. However, as they
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FEATURE SECTION