Ross Sheil, Staff Reporter

The Jamaican construction industry could finally see the emergence of legally enforceable regulations in January, says Noel daCosta, chairman of the National Building Code Committee.

Based upon the International Building Code (IBC) of the United States-based International Codes Council (ICC), it is to be approved by the Bureau of Standards and then made available for further public consultation. It will be then readied for legislation to make it legally enforceable.

The National Building Code will require all new residential developments to install solar water heaters (SWH) on housing units, among other regulations.

Mr. daCosta said that four of the 11 sub-codes had already been submitted to the Bureau of Standards. He acknowledged that the process had taken longer than expected - it was previously expected to be presented to Cabinet before its summer recess.

The process has relied largely on the voluntary efforts of engineers, surveyors, architects and other professionals involved in the construction industry from Jamaica and the diaspora.

Much cross-referencing

"We started by taking the IBC and adapting it for Jamaica. We started to review only five of the 13 codes under the IBC but when we got into the work we realised that there was much cross-referencing. We pretty much ended up doing all of them so what we thought would be an 18-month programme is now in its 33rd month," explained Mr. daCosta.

Dr. Keith Miller, who is responsible for the project within the Ministry of Local Government and Environment, said the new code would be flexible since the ICC codes are updated every three years, from which Jamaica can choose to modify its own code.

The IBC was chosen partly because American building standards mitigate for hurricanes, earthquakes and heavy rains-conditions which also occur in Jamaica.

Professor David Harrison, principal lecturer in architecture at the University of Technology, who also sits on the National Building Code committee, said that it is to form an accredited course at the institution. Meanwhile, the HEART Trust/NTA and the Bureau of Standards will offer unaccredited versions, added Prof. Harrison.

Currently, Jamaica is relying on the 1907 Building Act of the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation and the Caribbean Unified Legal Code (CUBLC) which is used by fewer than half of Jamaican engineers.

A previous national code in 1983 was never made into law.

ross.sheil@gleanerjm.com