INNOVATION January-February 2016

p ract i ce

Changes to the BC Building Code for Windows, Doors and Skylights Come into Effect

The Building and Safety Standards Branch of the Office of Housing and Construction Standards has announced new changes to the 2012 BC Building Code requirements for the construction and performance criteria for windows, doors and skylights, to conform to the North American Fenestration Standard (NAFS). The changes came into effect December 11, 2015, and include minor revisions to energy and ventilation requirements for Part 9 housing, and requirements for stainless steel piping.

The goal of these changes was to clarify and streamline compliance for British Columbia’s unique custom- based industry, while maintaining the trade advantages of the NAFS. These changes aim to give manufacturers greater flexibility in providing cost effective and code compliant windows, doors and skylights, while still providing an appropriate level of health, safety and accessibility. Key changes to the NAFS requirements include:

• Clarification of scope in Part 5 and Part 9; • Simplified Performance Grade and Driving Rain and Wind Pressure (DRWP) rating calculation in Part 9; • Changes to address the use of limited water rating doors; • New compliance path for site- built products. For more information about the changes, contact building.safety@gov.bc.ca.

Declare Your CPD Hours for 2015 During the membership renewal process, APEGBC asks members to indicate whether they have met the requirements of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Guideline for the 2015 calendar year by checking a box on their 2016 annual membership renewal form or through the online membership renewal process. If you haven’t done so yet, you can still complete this step online. To update your member record to indicate your CPD compliance, log on to the APEGBC website through the APEGBC Member Portal. Under “Manage Professional

Development,” then “Report your professional development: Compliance,” you will find options to declare your professional development compliance and indicate your CPD hours for 2015. Adherence to the CPD guideline is recommended but not mandatory; however members who declare their compliance with the guideline are recognized with a “Declared CPD Compliant” note in the public member directory. This is one of the ways that APEGBC aims to demonstrate to the public that engineers, geoscientists and licensees are keeping up to date in their area of practice.

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