Research + Tech

ASTM International creates standard for vegetative roofs

ASTM International's Committee D08 on Roofing and Waterproofing has created a standard to help professionals design and install membranes for sustainable vegetative roof systems.

ASTM Standard D8014, "Guide for Selection of Membranes Used in Vegetative Roofing Systems," provides options for reviewing membrane installations before and after vegetative components are put in place with particular attention given to ensuring the roofs have good water management systems. Designers and building owners will find the guide most helpful.

"This guide will help identify the various conditions a designer should be aware of as well as when choosing a roof membrane for a vegetative system," says ASTM International member Joe Schwetz, vice president of technical service at Sika^® Sarnafil.

For more information about ASTM International's sustainable construction standards, visit www.astm.org/COMMIT/sustain.html.

ICC and PEC partner to help modernize Pakistan's building codes

The International Code Council (ICC) and the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) have signed an agreement to update the Building Code of Pakistan.

The agreement permits PEC to use ICC's 2015 International Building Code, International Zoning Code and Performance Code for Buildings and Facilities to modernize Pakistan's building code. ICC's codes and standards reflect the most advanced building science construction methods and practices available and support the creation of safe, efficient and resilient structures. The agreement builds on ICC's previous experiences working with the government of Pakistan on its building code efforts.

"The world's premier organization, ICC, played a vital role in the development of the Building Code of Pakistan in 2006. Recently, ICC honored PEC's request and granted a license to use the aforementioned International Codes to modernize the building code of Pakistan," says Jawed Salim Qureshi, PEC's chairman. "The revision of our building codes will provide life safety to around 200 million people in Pakistan who are living at the junction of three of the world's major tectonic plates."

"We're proud to announce this important partnership, another sign of our commitment to strong building codes and standards worldwide," says M. Dwayne Garriss, president of ICC's board of directors. "Pakistan joins many other countries and entities in using ICC's model codes as a basis for strengthening their own."

ICC has similar partnerships with Colombia, Haiti, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates and other nations to help communities worldwide establish safe and resilient buildings. For more information about ICC's Global Services initiatives, visit www.iccsafe.org/about-icc/organizational-structure/global-services.