The COVID-19 pandemic affected nearly every aspect of our personal and professional lives. In the case of the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (UCC), it significantly delayed the legally required update to the 2018 edition of the International Construction Code.
Among the many requirements and procedures outlined in the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act Omnibus Amendments (Act of Oct. 25, 2017, P.L. 356, No. 36), is the requirement to review, amend, issue for comment, and enact the next generation of the International Construction Codes (ICC) on a triennial (3-year) basis, beginning with the 2015 edition, which took effect on October 1, 2018.
Based on the established criteria, an acceptance and implementation date of October 1, 2021, would have been expected for the next code cycle. However, due to mitigating circumstances, namely a global pandemic, this effective date has been pushed back to February 14, 2022. It can also be expected that there will be a 6-month grace period during which either the 2015 or the 2018 ICC can be utilized.
The sections below highlight key changes affecting electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems and how these updates may impact new construction projects:
Electrical Code Changes
The building code in Pennsylvania is known as the Uniform Construction Code (UCC). Enforcement of this code is handled either locally (by municipalities, townships, or contracted third-party reviewers) or by the state’s Department of Labor and Industry. Prior to 2018, the Pennsylvania UCC referenced the 2009 International Codes (I-Codes). In 2018, the UCC was updated to reference the 2015 codes with the intention of repeating that update cycle every 3 years. Given the challenges of the pandemic, the goal to update the UCC again in 2021 was not realized and was pushed to early 2022.
The transition of the UCC references from the 2015 I-Codes to the 2018 version not only impacts the International Codes themselves, but also all codes and standards that are adopted by reference. Some of the more notable code updates, as applied to electrical design and construction, are listed below. Note that almost all NFPA standard references have been updated to the most recent edition as of 2018, including NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, NFPA 99 Healthcare Facilities Code, NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, and NFPA 110 Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems.
2017 NFPA 70 (National Electrical Code) – The state electrical code will be moving from the 2014 NEC to the 2017 NEC. Emphasis on the revisions for this iteration was placed on system and user safety, including:
- Expanded ground fault and arc fault protection requirements
- Expanded requirements for tamper resistant devices
- Additional arc energy reduction requirements
- Additional fault current calculation, documentation, and equipment SCCR requirements
- Catching up with changing technologies in on-site energy production and electronic control systems
2016 NFPA 72 (National Fire Alarm and Wiring Code) – Pennsylvania’s state fire alarm code will transition from the 2013 to the 2016 version. Notable updates that this will bring are:
- Substantially expanded system, testing, and maintenance documentation requirements
- Updated allowable circuit and monitoring protocols to keep up with advancing communications technologies
- Updated installation, inspection, and testing requirements for Emergency Radio Communications Enhancement Systems (ERCES) for first responder radio systems
2018 IECC (International Energy Conservation Code) – The enforced energy code in Pennsylvania will be moving from the 2015 IECC to the 2018 IECC. Designers and end users will see:
- Further reductions of allowable lighting power densities
- Significant increases in complexities of required interior and exterior lighting controls
- Expanded requirements for lighting controls system documentation, commissioning, and inspections
This code transition in Pennsylvania will become effective February 14, 2022. There is a six-month grace period where projects can be submitted to be reviewed under the current UCC codes. This grace period applies to projects that are under contract prior to the February date and are submitted for permit within six months (August) of the new UCC adoption date. Any projects which come under contract after February 14th or are submitted for permit after the expiration of that six-month grace period will be reviewed under the revised UCC, including the 2018 codes and all updated references.
Some changes, not just from an electrical standpoint but also from a general building code standpoint, could have significant cost or timeline implications on upcoming building construction projects. If you have a project currently in design with a potential permit date extending beyond next summer or are considering a project that may not be under contract prior to February, the implications of these changes need to be considered and discussed.
The updated UCC also brings several changes to mechanical system design, construction, and operation that may affect both new and previously planned projects.
Mechanical Code Changes
As Pennsylvania begins enforcement of 2018 International Mechanical Code, it’s important to understand what, if any, changes could affect your project. This is particularly important if you’ve had a project shelved due to the pandemic and are planning to dust it off this year. Whether it was a funding issue, the price of materials, or just a lack of need, if your project can be submitted for a permit in the next several months, it may be worthwhile to expedite that process.
Among the notable changes in the code are a revised definition of a commercial kitchen appliance, which may necessitate the installation of a commercial hood where no hood was required before, ventilation rates have been changed or added, boiler and pressure vessel individual relief vents are now required, and there’s a brand-new section on Solar Thermal systems.
The following statement could mean that the panini maker that just used to sit on the counter now needs to be treated as a cooking appliance, which could affect your ventilation system:
“Appliances used in a commercial food service establishment for heating or cooking food. For this definition, a commercial food service establishment is where food is prepared for sale or is prepared on a scale that is by volume and frequency is not representative of domestic household cooking.”
As you delve into other specific applications, there have also been changes to the design and construction of stationary battery storage systems, and flammability limits in these spaces, additional refrigeration system requirements, and updated references.
The following references are now part of the code: American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning (ASHRAE) Handbook of Fundamentals 2017, ASHRAE Standards 15-2016, 34-2016, 62.1-2016, 170-2017,180-2012, and 90.1-2016. These changes in references can have far-reaching effects in the design, construction, and operation of your facility.
Plumbing requirements saw an extensive set of revisions as well, with changes affecting materials, fixtures, equipment, water distribution, drainage, and other areas of system design.
Plumbing Code Changes
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will adopt the 2018 International Plumbing Code for construction projects, except for two municipalities (the City of Philadelphia and Allegheny County), on February 14, 2022. There will be a six-month grace period during which some may be reviewed under the 2015 IPC. Construction projects, regardless of circumstances, will be designed in compliance with the 2018 IPC after the grace period has passed.
There are 15 chapters in the International Plumbing Code (IPC), and only four of them remained unchanged between the 2015 and 2018 editions of the IPC. There are 65 revisions in 11 out of 15 chapters. The changes encompass definitions, pipe materials, pipe fittings, plumbing fixtures and equipment, requirements for occupancies not referenced before in prior plumbing codes, residential dishwashers, hot water generation, distribution, and cross-connection control, interceptors, drainage systems, rainwater quality, and even water supplies for fire protection.
It is not practical to list all the changes in detail in this article, but a few are particularly noteworthy:
303.5 Cast Iron Soil Pipe: IPC now provides requirements by which cast iron soil piping and fittings must be listed and physically labeled by a third-party certification agency to show compliance with ASTM and CISPI standards.
Table 403.1.2 Single-User Toilet Facilities: Single-use toilet rooms must now be appropriately labeled, indicating that either sex is permitted access to the room.
422 Health Care Fixtures and Equipment: This section was deleted in its entirety from the 2018 IPC as other standards in the health care industry adequately govern the application and use of health care fixtures and equipment.
608.17.1.1 and 1.2 Beverage Dispensers: The requirements for backflow prevention at beverage machines are now two distinct categories: “Carbonated Beverage Dispensers” and “Coffee Machines and Noncarbonated Drink Dispensers.”
704.1 Slope of Horizontal Drainage Piping: Sanitary piping conveying grease-laden waste shall have a minimum slope of ¼” per foot. Slopes less than ¼” per foot do not produce wastewater velocities sufficient to effectively move grease and other food waste solids to the interceptor.
Section 1303.1.1 Non-Potable Water Supplies for Fire Protection: The plumbing code references non-potable water for use in fire protection systems and defers to the International Fire Code for applicable regulations governing its use.
For a comprehensive list of changes in the 2018 International Plumbing Code, consider purchasing “Significant Changes to the International Plumbing Code, 2018 ed.” directly from www.shop.iccsafe.org.
Taken together, the electrical, mechanical, and plumbing updates associated with Pennsylvania’s adoption of the 2018 International Codes can have meaningful effects on system design, construction requirements, project costs, and schedules. Reviewing these requirements early can help project teams identify how the updated codes may affect a project before those impacts reach permitting or construction.
For more information about these changes, review the applicable standards through the International Code Council (ICC) website or contact us to understand how these requirements may apply to your project.