Structural Engineering Global Interoperability: Codes and Standards

This presentation reviews the systems in place for developing and administering building codes and standards in the United States, the European Union, and a few major countries around the world such as Canada, China, and India. Commonalities among the systems as well as major differences will be pointed out and discussed.

In the United States, there used to be three regional model codes, which are now unified into oneInternational Building Code. The process by which this unification was accomplished will be briefly reviewed. Whether the lessons learned in that effort can be utilized to bring some unity to at least the structures of the building codes of the world will be explored.