ISSUES OF INTEGRATING BUILDING CODES IN CAD

Abstract. In this age of information revolution, design professionals are looking forward to exploring new methods and tools that could help them in delivering better designs and particularly understanding and incorporating of code-compliant design provisions in their projects. Automation of building code analysis is a vital factor in leveraging building codes from what is as a textual legal document to more graphical interactive source of building criteria. The argument of the paper will be based on the International Building Code (IBC) which is issued by the International Code Council (ICC) and considered as the most comprehensive and coordinated national model code in the US and is currently commonly used and enforced in 44 states. The paper will also examine and report on the purpose, types, interpretation, understanding and use of building codes applied in the United States; evaluation of recent research activities on automation of building code analysis; evaluation of current building code analysis tools; and a conceptual framework of a Computer-Aided Analysis of Design (CAAnD) program for building codes that could assist design professionals during project design development